Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government came under judicial scrutiny on Tuesday for delaying prosecution of two IAS officers allegedly involved in a Rs 98-crore tender irregularities case during the tenure of former AIADMK minister SP Velumani. The court pulled up the state for the “inordinate delay” in sending proposals for obtaining sanction to prosecute the officers.
Court Hearing and Government Submission
During the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam, the Tamil Nadu government provided an explanation for the delay. The petition had sought action against officials of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for not filing a chargesheet in the high-profile tender scam.
The public secretary, Reeta Harish Thakkar, stated that the delay was purely “administrative and procedural” in nature and “devoid of malafide intention.” She explained that the government had to conduct exhaustive scrutiny of voluminous papers, running into tens of thousands of pages, before forwarding the proposal for sanction.
Timeline of the Delay
- 5 January 2024: The government received reports from the Vigilance Commissioner regarding the alleged irregularities.
- August 2025: The proposal for sanction to prosecute the IAS officers was finally sent by the state.
The court observed that the delay of over a year and a half was significant and warranted explanation. The government argued that high-level consideration and approval at multiple administrative levels contributed to the delay.
Voluminous Records and Procedural Hurdles
According to the submission, the records relating to the two IAS officers amounted to approximately 46,000 pages. Each document had to undergo detailed scrutiny and rigorous legal checks as per service rules and procedures.
Additional procedural challenges included:
- Translation of thousands of pages from the vernacular into English.
- Multiple layers of administrative review to ensure compliance with DoPT instructions and service rules.
The government emphasized that these procedural steps were necessary to maintain legal integrity and ensure that the proposal for prosecution was flawless.
Affidavits Filed
In compliance with the court’s directions, three affidavits were submitted:
- Reeta Harish Thakkar, Public Secretary
- K. Manivasan, Vigilance Commissioner
- Abhay Kumar Singh, Director, DVAC
These affidavits outlined the reasons for the delay and reassured the court that there was no malafide intent behind the procedural lag.
Background of the Case
The Rs 98-crore tender scam allegedly occurred during the tenure of SP Velumani in the previous AIADMK government. Investigations by the DVAC revealed irregularities in tender allotments in which two IAS officers were implicated. The case attracted public attention due to the large amount involved and the high-ranking officials accused.
Court Reaction
The court expressed concern over the delay and emphasized the need for timely prosecution in cases involving high-profile officers to ensure accountability. While the government’s explanation cited procedural and administrative reasons, the bench made it clear that such delays cannot continue unchecked.
