In June 1976, a CBI probe was sought by the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary into alleged corruption in the procurement of wheat from Punjab. The matter involved then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and others.
According to the allegations, Karunanidhi and others had abused their official position and passed favourable orders to certain firms. The case later raised the question of whether a Chief Minister could be treated as a public servant.
The Supreme Court rejected Karunanidhi’s argument that a Chief Minister is not a public servant. The issue arose in the context of the corruption allegations and the demand for a CBI investigation.
