TANSI case: I overlooked details, says ex-official

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 10. A former registration department official in Tamil Nadu, who was suspended from service on the day of his retirement on June 30, is said to have given a fresh statement to the CB-CID on the value of the land involved in the TANSI land deal case.

Official sources said that a retired Deputy Inspector- General of Registration, Mr. Thangavel, had said that he had overlooked certain details on the valuation of the land sold by TANSI. It was in the light of this statement that the prosecution moved the special court seeking permission for further investigation in the case relating to `TANSI-R.R.Industries land deal' and the court also granted the request.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,. Ms. Jayalalithaa's counsel, Mr. N. Jothi, said today that they had not marked any document in the appeals pending before the Madras High Court other than those submitted in the trial court. Pointing out that one was not permitted to mark additional documents while coming for appeals, he said Mr. Thangavel had already deposed as a witness in the special court and his statements were recorded there. All that they had mentioned in the present appeal petition was that the trial court had failed to take note of these details while deciding the case, he added.

`Never afraid of anything'

``I am never afraid of anything,'' the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,

Ms. Jayalalithaa shot back when mediapersons pointed out that she had just three months left to get elected to the State Assembly.

She was talking to the press at the Secretariat today.

Ms. Jayalalithaa's nomination papers were rejected in the Assembly polls held in May in view of her conviction in the TANSI land case.

On the fresh evidence in the valuation of the TANSI land, she said: ``such things cannot be discussed with the media''.

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