Explain why you sat on files to prosecute two IAS officers, Madras High Court directs Public Secretary

The Madras High Court on Monday called for an explanation from the Public Secretary for having sat on the files, seeking sanction to prosecute two IAS officers in the ₹98.25 crore corporation contract irregularities case against former AIADMK Minister S.P. Velumani, from January 5, 2024 to August 30, 2025.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh passed the orders after impleading the Public Secretary suo motu as one of the respondents to a contempt of court petition filed by anti-corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam against the investigating officers for having delayed the prosecution by a considerable number of years.

The judge impleaded the Vigilance Commissioner as well as the Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption as respondents and directed them to respond, by January 6, as to why they did not follow up the issue with the Public department and reminded the latter to send the files to the Centre for obtaining sanction.

Justice Venkatesh agreed with the petitioner’s counsel V. Suresh that the anti-corruption organisation had to knock on the doors of the court at every stage of the case, beginning from the lodging of the complaint, and obtain a direction to the police even to perform their statutory duties.

The court took note that the irregularities in the award of contracts had allegedly taken place in Chennai and Coimbatore municipal corporations when Mr. Velumani had served as the Municipal Administration Minister between 2014 and 2018. Thereafter, a First Information Report was registered against him and others in 2021.

Though nearly four years had lapsed since then, the trial against the accused had not commenced till now despite multiple petitions filed by Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam for speeding up the process. Justice Venkatesh was now seized of a second contempt of court petition filed by the organisation.

While perusing the case papers, the judge found that the Vigilance Commissioner (in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary) had forwarded a recommendation to the Public Secretary on January 5, 2024 for obtaining sanction to prosecute the IAS officers K.S. Kandasamy and K. Vijaya Karthikeyan in connection with the case.

The recommendation was, however, kept in cold storage in the office of the Public department from January 5, 2024 and was forwarded to the Centre only on August 30, 2025. Expressing dismay over such a lethargic attitude when it comes to prosecuting IAS officers, the judge wanted to know if the delay was deliberate.

“The Prevention of Corruption Act cannot be confined to lower level staff such as Tahsildars, VAOs, RTOs and so on. If the system does not work with equal alacrity against Ministers, IAS officers and judges too, the people will lose faith in the system,” Justice Venkatesh told the DVAC officials present in the court hall.