Vijay-Led Government Moves Against Ex-DMK Minister; DVAC Books E V Velu In ₹3.23 Crore Highway Scam Case, Raids Across Tamil Nadu | Video

Chennai: Two days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay told the Legislative Assembly, his Government would not spare those who “touched” public money, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed a FIR against DMK’s big shot and former Minister E V Velu in connection with alleged corruption during his tenure as Minister for Highways. The agency also named nine Highway official and a contractor as accused. Sleuths conducted simultaneous searches at 14 places including the former Minister’s house in Chennai on Thursday.   

The FIR has alleged that crores of rupees were paid to the contractor for unlaid roads in Karur and Erode districts during March 2022. 

According to the FIR, the case stemmed from a complaint submitted by Arappor Iyakkam (an anti-corruption NGO) convenor Jayaram Venkatesan in April 2022, alleging that officials of the Highways Department had released payments to contractors for road works that had not been executed. The FIR alleged that payments totalling ₹3.23 crore—about 77% of the sanctioned cost of four road projects in Karur—were made on March 25 and 28, 2022, despite the works not having been carried out.

The FIR recounted that after former Transport Minister M R Vijayabhaskar (AIADMK) lodged a complaint on April 5, 2022, four Highways officials were suspended three days later over the alleged payments. The complaint alleged that, instead of initiating criminal proceedings, authorities allegedly allowed the contractor to lay the roads during the night of April 8, 2022. The complaint further alleged that a police contingent was deployed to provide security for the overnight work, enabling the roads to be completed after the payments had already been released and thereby attempting to erase evidence of the alleged fraud.

The FIR also referred to allegations that about ₹1.5 crore was similarly paid for two NABARD-funded rural road projects in Karur under the Erode division before the works were executed. It further noted allegations of comparable irregularities in other Highways divisions, including projects in Kancheepuram district, which are to be examined during the investigation.

The DVAC has booked the accused under provisions relating to criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The FIR alleged that the accused entered into a conspiracy to dishonestly release public funds without execution of the works, causing wrongful loss to the State while conferring an undue advantage on the contractor.

The agency said it had obtained prior approval from the competent authority before registering the case. The investigation has been entrusted to the DVAC's Special Investigation Cell, and the original FIR has been submitted before the Principal Judge, City Civil and Sessions Court, Chennai.

Meanwhile, DMK president M K Stalin said Velu would face the case legally and cases registered out of political vendetta would not stand.