DVAC begins inquiry into corruption charge against OPS

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has come under the scanner of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. The DMK and an anticorruption body Arappor Iyakkam had in separate petitions filed before the Madras High Court accusing Panneerselvam of accumulating wealth in his name and in the names of his family members beyond their known sources of income.

When the petitions came up for hearing before Justice G Jayachandran, Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that the DVAC has begun preliminary investigations into the charges. The investigation against Panneerselvam, who is also coordinator of the ruling AIADMK, and his family members had commenced on July 18.

After recording the Advocate General's submission Justice G Jayachandran closed the petition and directed the petitioners to approach the court if they found fault with future investigations. The judge directed the DVAC to complete “expeditiously” the preliminary probe against the Deputy Chief Minister and his family members.

Ironically in 2012, Panneerselvam who held the Vigilance portfolio got the DVAC to withdraw prosecution launched during the erstwhile DMK regime against him on charges of illegally amassing wealth from a lower court.

In March, the DMK had lodged a complaint with the DVAC seeking a probe into Panneerselvam's wealth. Since the agency did not act on the complaint, the party moved the High Court recently seeking a direction for a CBI probe. The Arappor Iyakkam subsequently moved the court.

“It is reliably learnt that O Panneerselvam had invested money and bought properties in the names of his wife, children, brothers -O Raja, O Balamurugan and O Shanmugha Sundaram and their families - and his business associates, including R Subburaj and his wife Uma Maheshwari,” read the complaint.