M. JEYASEELAN Vs. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Criminal Original Petition has been filed by the Petitioner, seeking to direct the 1st respondent to de-freeze the Bank Locker No.SF 04-37 and SF 01-03, which was freezed on 05.09.2018, in connection with the FIR in Rcmal 2018A008/CBI/AC Ill/New Delhi and direct the 2nd respondent, to permit the petitioner to take the jewels which is kept in the locker with any conditions imposed by this Court. Brief Facts:

(2.) A regular case in RC 08(A)/2018 of CBI, AC-IE, New Delhi, was registered by the CBI / the 1st respondent on 29.05.2018, under Section 120-B IPC read with Sections 7, 8, 12 and 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against the unknown officials of the Central Excise Department, unknown officials of the Government of Tamil Nadu, unknown officials of the Food Safety Department, unknown Public Servants and unknown private persons in compliance with the order dated 26.04.2018 of this Court made in W.P.No.19335 of 2017 with regard to illegal manufacturing and sale of Gutkha products in the State of Tamil Nadu.

(3.) The petitioner's son-in-law viz., S.Navaneetha Krishna Pandiyan was arrayed as A5 in this case and he was arrested. During the course of the investigation, the respondent CBI had seized the Bank locker Nos.SF04-07 and SF01-03 maintained by the petitioner with Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank, Mount Road Branch, Chennai, reportedly containing the jewels of Smt.Chitra Pandiyan, who is the wife of A5. Thereafter, the account of the petitioner was freezed on 05.09.2018 and the keys of the lockers were seized by the 1st respondent. The present petition has been filed by the petitioner / father-in-law of A5, seeking to de-freeze the bank locker Nos.SF 04-07 and SF 01-03.