The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the multi-crore property tax scam of the Madurai Corporation arrested Madurai Mayor Indrani’s husband Pon Vasanth in Chennai on Tuesday. Earlier, he was suspended from the DMK for “anti-party” activities, ahead of the party general council meeting held in Madurai in May.
A police officer said Mr. Vasanth was being brought to Madurai for further questioning. After former Madurai Corporation Commissioner C. Dinesh Kumar flagged the scam involving some lower-level temporary employees “unilaterally” reducing property tax for about 150 assessees in 2024, an internal inquiry confirmed that the crime was being committed using a technical glitch in the UTIS software of the civic body.
Based on his complaint to Madurai City Police Commissioner J. Loganathan, the Central Crime Branch began an inquiry and started arresting civic body employees, including the temporary workers.
However, following a High Court direction to form a SIT to thoroughly look into the issue, Prem Anand Sinha, Madurai Commissioner of Police and Inspector-General, South Zone, formed the team headed by Abhinav Kumar, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Madurai Range).
A retired Corporation Assistant Commissioner, a few bill collectors, several data entry operators, and Kannan, husband of Vijayalakshmi, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, have been arrested since July.
On Monday night, the SIT arrested a former Madurai Corporation Assistant Commissioner Suresh Kumar in Thoothukudi. He was brought to Madurai and remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday, the police said.
Suresh Kumar, who was the Assistant Commissioner of zone 3 till February 2024, was transferred to the Thoothukudi Corporation.
Meanwhile, the SIT also apprehended one Bose of Narimedu in connection with the case on Tuesday.
Published – August 13, 2025 12:46 am IST
