Former Tamil Nadu Minister and AIADMK leader SP Velumani was raided for a second time by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday, March 15, with raids in several locations. A total of 58 locations connected to Velumani were being searched in six districts — including Chennai, Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur and Coimbatore. Velumani was the minister for municipal administration, rural development, law, and implementation of special programmes in the AIADMK government led by Edappadi K Palaniswami.
A case of disproportionate assets was registered against the former minister, as well as of family members, and raids were on in locations related to his family members as well. The case was registered for disproportionate assets of Rs 58.93 crore, which is 3928% of Velumani’s total income. It is further suspected that Velumani channelised his ill-gotten money to various other companies/firms in “which Tr.R.Chandrasekar (A-4) Tr.K.Chandraprakash (A-5) and their relatives are partners or shareholders or directors and has acquired many more assets and kept in the name of his relatives and associates in various places in and around Tamil Nadu and outside which are disproportionate to his known source of income,” the FIR read.
The FIR filed by the DVAC said that criminal acts committed by some of the accused are being investigated under sections of the IPC as well as sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988.
It alleged that there was a case of criminal conspiracy for the cheating and committing criminal misappropriation of public money amounting to several crores.
“Further verification disclosed that Tr.S.P.Velumani (A-l), with the sole intention of converting and accounting his own ill-gotten wealth received by plundering the exchequer of Government through fraudulent award of tenders in a Criminal Partisan manner and in other illegal means, had hatched a criminal conspiracy…,” it said.
In February, a special court for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act had ordered the attachment of fixed deposits of over Rs 110 crore, allegedly belonging to Velumani. The fixed deposits were in the names of the firms of his associates.
The DVAC police had registered an FIR against the former minister and 16 others following an order of the Madras High Court.
Allegations of corruption against Velumani are from during his tenure as minister in the AIADMK government between 2014 and 2018. During this time, it is alleged that he abused his position as minister and showed large-scale favouritism in awarding tender works in the Chennai and Coimbatore Corporations to his close associates including his brother.