Chennai: Expressing strong displeasure over the prolonged delay in prosecuting two IAS officers in the alleged ₹98.25 crore tender irregularities case involving former Tamil Nadu minister S.P. Velumani, the Madras High Court has directed retired IAS officer Reeta Harish Thakkar to appear through video conferencing and explain the reasons for the delay.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh passed the interim order on Wednesday while hearing a contempt petition filed by anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam, which alleged continued non-compliance with the court’s earlier directions in the corruption case.
Court Seeks Explanation from Retired IAS Officer
Reeta Harish Thakkar, who recently retired as Secretary to the Tamil Nadu Public Department on June 30, has been asked to appear before the court via video conferencing on August 3.
The High Court observed that despite her retirement, she remains accountable for the delay that occurred during her tenure.
“Retirement from service does not take away her responsibility,” Justice Venkatesh observed while directing her appearance.
The court also instructed the present Public Department Secretary to file an affidavit explaining why the relevant files remained pending for nearly five months without being processed.
Delay in Sanction for Prosecution
The case revolves around obtaining sanction from the Union Government to prosecute IAS officers K.S. Kandasamy and K. Vijaya Karthikeyan, who have been named as accused in the alleged tender irregularities.
According to a status report filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC):
- Sanction to prosecute the two IAS officers was sought from the Centre.
- The Union Government sought certain clarifications.
- DVAC furnished the required information and forwarded the communication to the Public Department on February 27, 2026.
- However, the proposal allegedly remained pending thereafter without being resubmitted to the Centre.
The judge noted that no satisfactory explanation had been provided for the prolonged inaction.
Court Expresses Anguish Over Delay
Justice Venkatesh observed that despite repeated directions issued by the High Court, there had been virtually no progress in securing the mandatory sanction required to prosecute the accused IAS officers.
The court remarked that the files had remained idle for months and expressed concern over what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to stall the prosecution process.
The judge also noted that while former Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu had granted sanction on February 12, 2024, to prosecute former minister S.P. Velumani, approval from the Union Government is still awaited for proceeding against the two IAS officers.
APP Says New Government Will Expedite Matter
Appearing for the prosecution, Additional Public Prosecutor Arun Anbumani informed the court that a new government had assumed office in the state and expressed confidence that the matter would now move forward more swiftly.
However, Justice Venkatesh made it clear that a change in political leadership cannot justify delays in legal proceedings.
He observed that the rule of law must prevail, irrespective of which government is in power, and reiterated his concern that IAS officers were allegedly contributing to delays in the progress of the corruption case.
Background of the Case
The case pertains to alleged irregularities worth ₹98.25 crore in the award of municipal contracts in the Chennai and Coimbatore Corporations during 2014–2018, when S.P. Velumani served as the Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration under the AIADMK government.
Arappor Iyakkam has been pursuing the matter before the High Court, alleging repeated administrative delays in securing the necessary prosecution sanctions despite judicial directions.
The matter has now been posted for further hearing on August 3, when both the retired and incumbent Public Department Secretaries are expected to explain the delay before the court.
