CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to register an FIR and investigate the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam allegedly involving Water Supplies Minister KN Nehru, his brother Ravichandran, and others.
The Enforcement Directorate had earlier written seeking registration of a case, alleging bribes of several crores were collected in connection with 2,538 appointments, including Assistant Engineer, Junior Engineer and Sanitary Inspector posts in the MAWS Department. Candidates were allegedly recruited by paying illegal gratification ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh per post.
Petitioners, AIADMK parliamentarian IS Inbadurai and K Athinarayanan, president of the Maruthu Senai Society, Madurai, sought directions to the Tamil Nadu DGP to register a case.
Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan criticised the delay in proceeding with the probe despite the ED sharing materials showing a prima facie offence. In sensitive matters, the State should act diligently, register a case without delay and conduct a detailed investigation, the court said.
“Any delay in registering and investigating the case may give room for destruction of material evidence, which would be detrimental to the case,” the bench observed.
The court said the manner in which the State conducted a preliminary inquiry without registering a case raised serious doubts and concerns, adding it appeared the State was not inclined to register a case under the guise of a preliminary enquiry.
The bench also noted that even after sharing material evidence, the State had taken no action for three-and-a-half months. Allegations that the accused, involving high-ranking officials, were being shielded by prolonging proceedings could not be brushed aside, it said.
During searches linked to a bank fraud probe on the premises of the minister’s brother, the ED found incriminating material indicating an organised recruitment racket.
Rejecting the State’s contention that the writ petitions were not maintainable during the preliminary inquiry, the court said the State cannot conduct a mini-trial under that guise and delay registering a case.