Writers seek High Court -monitored probe into purchase of fake books from two publishers

CHENNAI: A group of writers, publishers and academics has alleged large-scale irregularities in the procurement of books for the recently opened Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore, claiming that 1,800 to 2,000 fake books published under fictitious authors' names were purchased from two publishers. They have sought a probe by a commission under the supervision of the Madras high court.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the signatories alleged that Akal Vilakku and Phoenix Publication, which operate from the same address, had compiled material available online across various subjects and published them under fictitious authors' names, with several errors. They also alleged that the prices of these books were several times higher than those of comparable publications.

The issue came to light following social media posts by writer Balasubramanian Ponraj on October 17 and artist Sundaran Murugesan on October 24, followed by an article by writer Perumal Murugan published in an online magazine on November 6.

The signatories, including former Madras high court judge D Hari Paranthaman, researchers S V Rajadurai and R Balakrishnan, former vice-chancellor L Jawahar Nesan and Prof V Arasu, said the alleged fraud had not only caused financial loss to the government but also deprived genuine writers and researchers of space in public libraries.

Questioning how such publications cleared multiple levels of scrutiny, the signatories pointed out that the government had introduced the Transparent Book Procurement Policy in 2024 to ensure accountability in the purchase of books and e-books. A government order issued on Nov 5, 2025, extended the procurement mechanism to Periyar Arivulagam and central libraries in six newly created districts.

Under the system, a 137-member expert panel recommends books, a 13-member selection committee finalises the list, a five-member committee negotiates prices with publishers, and another five-member committee scrutinises the recommendations before approval.

The signatories demanded that the government disclose the details of those who recommended and selected the allegedly fake books and authorised payments, besides initiating legal action against officials and publishers found responsible. They also sought recovery of the money paid to the publishers, seizure of the books and their removal from all libraries.

They called for a time-bound audit of all libraries in Tamil Nadu by independent expert committees and amendments to strengthen the 2024 procurement policy. They also wanted the final list of purchased books to be shared with members of the recommendation panel to verify whether only titles recommended by them had been procured.