DVAC conducts searches at 14 locations linked to former minister EV Velu in highways corruption case; FIR registered

CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) conducted searches at 14 locations, including the residences and offices of former Tamil Nadu minister and Tiruvannamalai MLA E.V.

Velu, on Thursday after registering a corruption case against him and 10 others over alleged irregularities in the execution of Highways Department road works in 2022.The searches began at about 7 am and were carried out by seven DVAC teams comprising 35 officials.

The agency did not disclose details of the materials seized during the operation.The case was registered as DVAC Headquarters Crime No. 3 of 2026 after the State Govt granted sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The FIR was based on a complaint submitted on April 20, 2022, by Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan, alleging large-scale misappropriation of public funds in the Highways Department.Besides E.V.

Velu, the FIR named 10 other accused, including serving and retired Highways Department engineers and officials, as well as Karur-based contractor Sankaranand Infra.

The case also included unknown officials of the Highways Department and private individuals.According to the FIR, the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy in 2022 to award road improvement contracts in Karur district and release payments without executing the works.

Investigators alleged that Sankaranand Infra was awarded contracts worth about Rs 7 crore, of which ₹3.23 crore was paid on March 25 and March 28, 2022, despite the works not being carried out.The complaint stated that the payments related to four road improvement projects in Karur district.

It further alleged that after the irregularities came to light, roads were laid in April 2022 in an attempt to erase evidence that payments had already been released in March without execution of the works.The FIR also referred to another claimed irregularity involving about Rs 1.5 crore paid under NABARD and Rural Roads projects in Karur subdivision without the execution of the sanctioned works.

It stated that five officials connected with those projects were subsequently placed under suspension.The complaint further stated that similar irregularities occurred in other divisions of the State Highways Department, including projects in the Kanchipuram division, where payments of about Rs 25 crore were reportedly made without the corresponding road works being completed.

It urged the DVAC to seize official records, halt further work on projects for which payments had already been released, conduct an independent audit, blacklist the contractor pending investigation, and initiate criminal proceedings against the officials and contractors involved.The DVAC stated in the FIR that the available material disclosed a prima facie case that the accused conspired to misappropriate public funds by releasing payments for road projects that were not executed.

The agency alleged that the public servants dishonestly discharged their official duties by accepting undue advantage from the contractor, resulting in wrongful loss to the State exchequer.The case has been registered against the public servants under Sections 120B, 409, 468 and 471 read with Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 7(c) and 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.

The contractor has been booked under Sections 120B, 420, 409, 468 and 471 of the IPC, along with the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in ChennaiStay updated with the latest Chennai news.

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