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The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), on Friday, September 19, informed the Madras High Court that the delay in obtaining sanction to prosecute two IAS officers in the Rs 98.25 crore corruption case against SP Velumani, a former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) minister, was due to the requirement of translating over 41,000 pages of documents.
Appearing before Justice N Anand Venkatesh, Additional Public Prosecutor E Raj Thilak said the Union government had introduced a new procedure in 2024, mandating the submission of translated copies of vernacular documents while seeking sanction to prosecute IAS officers for criminal offences.
The submission came during a contempt of court petition filed by Jayaram Venkatesan of anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam, which had accused the agency of delay despite the completion of investigation. Advocate S Tanvi, representing the petitioner, pointed out that the probe had confirmed a loss of Rs 98.25 crore to the exchequer due to irregularities in contract awards by the Greater Chennai and Coimbatore Corporations during Velumani’s tenure as Municipal Administration Minister between 2014 and 2018.
While the DVAC obtained sanction from Assembly Speaker M Appavu on February 12, 2024, to prosecute Velumani, sanction from the Union government to prosecute IAS officers KS Kandasamy and K Vijaya Karthikeyan was still pending. The APP noted that the translation process had caused the delay.
The court was also informed that charge-sheets have been filed in connection with irregularities in relaying of bus route roads and in the supply of drivers, cleaners, and tipper lorries for garbage clearance. However, the investigation into alleged manipulation of tender conditions for outsourcing 302 staff nurses to urban primary health centres remains incomplete.
The background of the case traces back to 2021, when the DVAC registered an FIR against Velumani and others. Though the Madras High Court quashed the FIR in 2022 citing lack of evidence, it permitted the agency to reinstate him as an accused if sufficient evidence was later found. With fresh evidence in hand, the DVAC re-added Velumani to the list of accused and proceeded with prosecution after securing the Speaker’s sanction.
After hearing both sides, Justice Venkatesh directed the Registry to list the contempt petition for final hearing next month.