Latest news with #ArapporIyakkam
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
₹98.25-crore Corporation contract irregularities during S.P. Velumani's tenure: Madras HC questions special court over delay in taking chargesheets on file
The Madras High Court has called for a report from a Special Court in Chennai with respect to the delay in taking on file the chargsheets filed with respect to alleged irregularities in the award of contracts by Greater Chennai and Coimbatore Municipal Corporations when S.P. Velumani of the AIADMK served as Municipal Administration Minister between 2014 and 2018. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh directed the Special Court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases to submit the report by August 22, 2025. He also directed S. Vimala, serving as the Superintendent of Police in the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), to file an affidavit explaining the substantial delay in obtaining sanction to prosecute the public servants listed as accused in the case. The directions were issued on a second contempt of court petition filed by anti-corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam, represented by its managing trustee Jayaram Venkatesan, against the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The present contempt plea had been filed for non-compliance of an order passed by the court on April 5, 2024, in the first contempt of court petition filed against her predecessor. Explaining the history of the case, the petitioner's counsel V. Suresh and D. Nagasaila said, his client had lodged a complaint with the DVAC way back in 2018 regarding illegal award of corporation contracts to those who shared close ties with the then Minister, thereby resulting in the unjust enrichment of public officials and diversion of the money earned into select companies and firms. When there was no response, Arappor Iyakkam filed a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to register a First Information Report and constitute a special investigation team. The High Court on July 19, 2021, ordered that 'the State should spare no effort in getting to the bottom of the matter and proceed against those found to be responsible for the irregularities.' Subsequently, a FIR was registered against Mr. Velmunani and 16 others on August 9, 2021. However, another Division Bench of the High Court on November 30, 2022, quashed the FIR with respect to Mr. Velumani alone, for want of prima facie materials, but granted liberty to the DVAC to include his name too in the chargesheet if it was able to gather any fresh materials during the course of investigation. In 2023, six private firms approached the High Court to quash the FIR with respect to them too. On August 2, 2023, Justice Venkatesh refused to quash the FIR and asked the companies to wait and see whether their names figure in the final report (chargesheet). He also directed the DVAC to complete the investigation and file the final report within six weeks after obtaining sanction to prosecute the public servants. It was complaining about disobedience of this order, Arappor Iyakkam had filed its first contempt plea in 2024 against the then DVAC SP A. Myilvaganan. Justice Venkatesh closed the plea on April 5, 2024, after recording the submission of DVAC that it had filed two chargesheets before the special court on March 1, 2024. Then, he directed the special court to act upon those chargesheets within two weeks. Alleging disobedience of this order, the complainant had filed the present contempt plea against incumbent SP Ms. Vimala who told Justice Venkatesh that the chargesheets were returned by the special court on multiple occassions for rectification of defects. She said, almost all the defects pointed out by the court were rectified and the chargesheets were finally resubmitted before the court on July 12, 2025. Ms. Vimala said, the case was related to a loss of ₹98.25 crore caused to the Greater Chennai and Coimbatore Municipal Corporations. Hence, the DVAC had filed the first chargesheet against 58 accused persons along with over one lakh pages of tender related documents. The second chargesheet was filed against 40 accused persons along with over 50,000 pages of tender related documents. The special court returned the chargesheets on August 16, 2024 with an observation that several documents were not filled in OCR format, had dull impressions and were in a torn condition. The DVAC rectified the defects and resubmitted the chargesheets on November 11, 2024. However, the special court returned them again on February 14, 2025 for submission of additional supporting materials. The special court insisted on submitting the Government Orders related to the appointing authority of the public servants who had been listed as the accused, the age proof of the accused, their photographs, e-mail IDs, contact numbers, and so on. The chargesheets were finally resubmitted on July 12, 2025, along with all documents, except the GO, as sought by the special court, Ms. Vimala said. Stating she had no deliberate intention to disobey court orders, the SP urged the court purge her from the contempt proceedings. However, Justice Venkatesh directed her to explain the long delay in obtaining sanction to prosecute the public servants and also called for a report from the special court for not having taken the chargesheets on file within two weeks as ordered by the High Court on April 5, 2024.
New Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Semmencherry police station on waterbody: Madras HC seeks original master plan
CHENNAI: Talking tough against reclassifying waterbodies for other purposes without following the relevant laws, the Madras High Court on Thursday sought the respondent authorities to produce the original master plan to find out whether the Semmencherry police station was constructed on a waterbody land. The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Manindra Kumar Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan, granted a week's time for producing the original master plan when the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam in 2019 on the issue came up for hearing. Stating that the original master plan had cited the land as waterbody but it was argued that the revenue records did not have entries to show it as a waterbody, the bench questioned Additional Advocate General J Ravindran, how can you disown the master plan. 'The master plan can be rectified only in the manner known to the law. Which law entitles them (CMDA) to reclassify the waterbody as institutional zone,' the bench questioned. It further noted that the state and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) are making contradictory submissions on the issue. 'Once master plan is made, everybody is bound by it as long as it is there. Otherwise, it will open floodgates,' the bench said. The bench pointed out certain issues including whether it is in the jurisdiction of the CMDA to reclassify waterbody as institutional zone, and noted that the land was originally a pasture land and waterbody.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Anna university to carry out monthly faculty verification in engg colleges
Chennai: To rule out bogus faculty members, Anna University has announced it would carry out verification of faculty members in engineering colleges through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication on a monthly basis. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sources in the university said it would help check whether faculty members shown as working during the physical inspection continue to work in those colleges or not. "Aadhaar-based biometric authentication of existing faculty members with unique ID will be carried out every month. New faculty members without Anna University ID can submit the duly filled-in faculty profile with supporting documents on the web portal," a circular from the university to colleges said. A principal from a private engineering college said the university can consider a centralised attendance portal or conduct a surprise visit during the academic year instead of asking for faculty members' details every month. "We even have to submit documents for faculty members on leave or who quit," the principal said. Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam, in July last year, exposed that 353 individuals were working in multiple engineering colleges for 2023-24. Following this, Anna University's internal probe found that the colleges filled around 2,000 faculty positions for 2023-24 and 2024-25 with bogus faculty members. Many faculty members were wrongly shown by colleges as working in multiple institutions at the same time as well. Anna University also suspended its former vice-chancellor R Velraj for providing affiliation to colleges with bogus faculty members.
Time of India
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AU ghost faculty: NGO holds stir alleging govt inaction
Chennai: More than a year after Arappor Iyakkam exposed a major scam involving duplicate faculty appointments in Anna University-affiliated colleges, the NGO conducted a symbolic protest on Saturday, criticizing the state govt's alleged inaction and delay in taking punitive measures. Volunteers of the organisation lit candles and observed a moment of silence, condemning the three-member committee formed to probe the scam for failing to release a report or act against those involved. "The committee was set up two days after we exposed the scam, and the govt ordered that a detailed report be submitted within a week. However, even after a year passed, the report was not released, nor was any action taken against those responsible," said Jayaram Venkatesan, convenor, Arappor Iyakkam. The scam involved 353 ghost faculty members who were found employed at the same time in several engineering colleges, affiliated with Anna University , in the academic year 2023–24. According to the NGO, the colleges presented fake or temporary staff during inspections, often paying individuals to pose as faculty. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai "The fact that when the committee visited the colleges for inquiry, people were hired to impersonate teachers shows the brazenness of the scam. It's the students who suffer in the end," said M Radhakrishnan, another member of the NGO. The organization also accused the Anna University of shielding errant officials. It also questioned Governor RN Ravi for allegedly blocking an investigation against former vice chancellor R Velraj. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Corruption in Tangedco bids: Tamil Nadu to take call on probe against Senthil Balaji soon
CHENNAI: A decision will soon be taken on whether a case will be registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) against former minister Senthil Balaji and others in an alleged scam pertaining to procurement of transformers by Tangedco (now trifurcated into three separate entities), Advocate General PS Raman informed the Madras High Court on Thursday. Raman made the submission before Justice P Velmurugan while hearing a writ petition filed by NGO Arappor Iyakkam seeking a direction to the DVAC to take cognisance of their complaint filed in July 2023 seeking registration of an FIR. In their petition, Arappor Iyakkam's managing trustee Jayaram Venkatesan said that their complaint alleged blatant corruption and gross irregularities in the procurement of distribution transformers by Tangedco at exorbitant rates which led to a loss of Rs 397 crore. The total value of 10 tenders for supply of 45,800 such transformers from 2021 to 2023 analysed by the NGO amounted to Rs 1,182 crore. In seven of the 10 tenders, there was clear evidence of unjust enrichment to contractors by cartelisation, intentional collusion, and formation of a syndicate amongst bidders and public servants, the NGO said. Instead of raising doubts regarding cartelisation and objecting to identical exorbitant prices quoted by the companies, Tangedco officials had turned a blind eye rendering the entire tender process redundant, it had alleged. Seeking presentation of detailed arguments on the matter, advocate V Suresh, counsel for Arappor Iyakkam, sought an adjournment. The judge accepted his request and adjourned the hearing.
