High Court directs Madurai Collector, Corporation Commissioner to submit action plan to verify property tax assessment

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Madurai Collector to coordinate with the Corporation Commissioner to work out the effective modality and submit an action plan to verify property tax assessment of buildings in the city.

A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and G. Arul Murugan had on Tuesday directed the Corporation Commissioner to constitute adequate number of special teams to verify the property tax assessment of buildings. The court had sought a report from the Commissioner on the constitution of special teams.

Pursuant to the court direction, the Corporation Commissioner, in a report, submitted that there were 3,49,741 property assessments in Madurai Corporation. A committee comprising 11 officials under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Madurai Corporation was constituted to find out whether any irregularity or under assessment was made, it was submitted.

Earlier, the court had directed the Inspector-General of Police (South Zone) and the Madurai Commissioner of Police to constitute an SIT, headed by a senior IPS officer, to conduct an investigation into the property tax scam. Following this, an SIT, led by Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Madurai Range) Abhinav Kumar, was constituted.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by AIADMK Councillor of Madurai Corporation T. Ravi (Ward No. 83), who sought transfer of the probe into the scam to the CBI. The scam, which occurred between 2022 and 2024, had caused a loss of about ₹200 crore to the civic body, he alleged.

The petitioner said though the complaint was lodged by the Corporation Commissioner in 2024, a case was registered only in 2025. There was a delay in registering the case and action was being taken against low profile persons and not the real culprits, he said.

Earlier, the court had observed that the probe should be monitored by higher authorities to ensure that there were no lapses, and that the guilty were not spared. All those responsible for causing the loss to the Corporation should be prosecuted, the court had said. The court adjourned the hearing in the case by one week.