CHENNAI: In its mission to bring to book advocates who cheated Motor Accident Claims Tribunals by filing 353 duplicate claim applications for compensation to the tune of Rs 60.71crore, the Madras high court has summoned seven practising lawyers to appear before the court and explain their involvement in the scam.The issue gained significance when recently 55 claim application bundles vanished from the custody of small causes court located on the high court campus compelling the court to order a CB-CID probe.V Velu of Chennai, M Jeevanantham of Trichy, N Azhakiyakumaran, Ramaa Radhakrishnan, M Sivamani of Cuddalore, N Sankar of Vellore and S Natarajan of Gobichettipalayam are the advocates summoned by the court.After the scam came to light, Justice P N Prakash on July 19 appointed former judge of the court Justice K Chandru as an expert body to examine the 353 duplicate cases and suggest remedial measures to check such illegality.On October 25, the expert body filed an interim report submitting that the body had examined 353 cases and received responses from 150 advocates/claimants, in all.The report pointed out that after coming to know of the inquiry that is being conducted by the body, around 72 such cases, totally valued at Rs 8.90crore, have been either withdrawn or dismissed as not pressed.This apart, the body culled out from records the names of seven advocates and recommended immediate actions against them.When the plea came up for hearing on Thursday, perusing the report the judge said, "Though the expert body has suggested suspension of the aforementioned advocates from practice, this court does not want to resort to such an extreme step nor does this court want to refer their matter to the Bar Council immediately without affording them an opportunity to explain their stance."The court then summoned the advocate to appear before the court on December 13 and explain their involvement.This apart, standing counsel for one of the private vehicle insure company pointed out to the court that though details of the proceedings had been informed to five public sector insurance firms, none of them had bothered to represent themselves before the expert body.Recording the submission, the court said, "Perhaps, they too have enough skeletons in their cupboard, which, they do not want the world to know. It should be borne in mind that they are the custodians of public wealth and they cannot be permitted to sweep the dirt under the carpet and sleep as if nothing is affecting them."“In such perspective of the matter, this court is of the view that interests of justice will be served if a copy of this order is sent to four public sector insurance companies for them to wake up at least now and conduct in-house inquiries to unearth duplicate claims and it is ordered accordingly. It is made clear that if they still stand to continue to be a Rip Van Winkle, this court may have to draw an inference that the officials of these public sector insurance companies are in league with the bogus claimants and appropriate criminal action will have to be initiated against those officials also,” the judge added.

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