Sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Vellore carried, out searches in the residences of former Deputy Director (Tuberculosis) Raja Sivanandam and three others on Tuesday. He has been accused of misappropriating funds to the tune of over ₹34 lakh.
A team led by M. Balasubramanian, Additional Superintendent of Police, DVAC, conducted the searches at the residences of Sivanandam, TB unit’s former accountant Sridhar, Sridhar’s friend Ramesh and present accountant Ashok Kumar.
A police official said Sivanandam was the Deputy Director of Tuberculosis in Vellore since 2007. Under a centrally-funded scheme for TB control, the official could engage contract labourers.
“From April 2014 to September 2015, Sivanandam had withdrawn salaries of 19 contract labourers, including two doctors. He used the bank account of his accountant Sridhar’s wife and got huge funds transferred to this account,” he said.
The police official said Raja Sivanandam misappropriated ₹34,84,000. Following information, the DVAC conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the government. The vigilance commission ordered a detailed inquiry, he said. “Accordingly, an FIR was registered on July 18, 2017,” he added.
During the searches, the team seized the bank passbooks from the residences of Sivanandam, Sridhar and Ramesh.
Sivanandam, who was due to retire from service on June 30 this year, was not allowed to retire, he added.