CHENNAI: Hours after changing the senior IAS officer heading the Home Department, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday appointed ADGP Prem Anand Sinha as the head of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).

Sinha was the Tambaram City Commissioner before being moved to the politically sensitive post that has been lying vacant since the previous chief, ADGP A Arun, was shunted out of the post within seven weeks of his appointment.

The Home Department order was issued by the new Secretary, A Karthik, who was appointed earlier on Friday. The order said Sinha will be the Additional Director General of Police/Director of DVAC, and added that the appointment has been made against an existing vacancy and will take effect immediately.

Chennai city police commissioner ADGP A Amalraj will hold full additional charge of the post of Tambaram police Commissioner until further orders, the order said.

The anti-corruption watchdog, which has always been seen as a potent tool against opposition politicians, is even more significant under the new dispensation led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who had made the battle against corruption as one of the key planks of his Assembly election campaign earlier this year.

After the new government took charge, a string of cases was booked – or acted upon in some cases – against influential DMK leaders like V Senthilbalaji, KN Nehru, and EV Velu.