DVAC raids Rural dept staffer in Pudukkottai
An aide of ex-min, his assets allegedly grew 1,260% to Rs 15 crore in 3 yrs
CHENNAI/TIRUCHY: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths Wednesday conducted raids at the houses and business establishments of an assistant in the Rural Development department from Pudukkottai and his relatives who allegedly had nexus with former minister SP Velumani for amassing wealth in disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The main accused V Muruganandam (47), a resident of Mullankurichi in Pudukkottai and assistant to the Assistant Director (Audit) in the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department in Pudukottai, previously worked as an assistant to Assistant Director (Panchayat) from 2015 to 2019, when he is suspected to have committed the offence. The second accused Gandhimathi, Muruganandham’s wife, is panchayat president in Mullankurichi since January 2020.
It is said that during the AIADMK regime, Muruganandam obtained government tenders with the help of then minister SP Velumani and reportedly purchased house sites, flats and a shopping complex in his and his wife’s names in Pudukottai. The total extent of the land purchased by the couple during the three years is 38,738 sq ft, valued at Rs 12.84 crore. Muruganandam has also purchased agricultural land measuring 12.9 hectares worth Rs 62 lakh and Benz car worth Rs 70 lakh in 2018.
Since the assets grew by 1,260 per cent in three years with no proper account for the income, DVAC registered a case with prima facie evidence and despatched several teams from Tiruchy, Pudukkottai and Sivagangai to Pudukkottai who conducted a search at the houses and business establishments of Muruganandam, his brothers Ravichandran and Palanivelu. The teams also searched the lodges and cinema theatres owned by Muruganandam and kin.
The police said Murugandam had amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 15 crore in three years between 2017 and 2020.