Trouble for ex-minister Velumani as govt set to probe corruption charges

CHENNAI: The State government on Monday informed the Madras High Court that the findings of a CAG report concurred with the allegations of corruption levelled by an NGO against former AIADMK minister SP Velumani in awarding contracts of Chennai and Coimbatore corporations.

Advocate General (AG) R Shunmugasundaram told the court a detailed inquiry would be carried out and an FIR would be registered, if needed. The AG made the submissions on a PIL moved by an NGO, Arappor Iyakkam, seeking an investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the allegations against Velumani.

Recording the submission, the First Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy granted eight weeks for the government to file a report. “The State should spare no effort in getting to the bottom of the matter and proceed against those... responsible,” the Bench said.

On June 21, the Bench observed that it might not accept the report of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) giving a clean chit to the former local administration minister if the court found “day turned into night”.

On March 26, the court dismissed as “utterly frivolous” a petition moved by Velumani seeking contempt-of-court action against the NGO. Velumani had alleged that the reports accusing him of corruption in awarding the contracts were being published continually by the NGO on social media in violation of a court order.