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Corruption cases involving sitting arsenic good arsenic erstwhile Ministers, different legislators, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, and specified different individuals indispensable not beryllium allowed to get “ambushed” by long-drawn procedures and instead, they indispensable beryllium dealt with arsenic expeditiously arsenic imaginable to summation nationalist assurance connected the transgression justness system, the Madras High Court observed connected Monday (October 13, 2025).
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh made the observations successful his interim bid aft expressing dismay implicit the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) not having been capable to commencement the proceedings successful a lawsuit registered successful 2021 for alleged irregularities to the tune of ₹98.25 crore successful the grant of corp contracts during the tenure of erstwhile AIADMK Minister S.P. Velumani betwixt 2014 and 2018.
Dealing with a contempt of tribunal petition filed by Jayaram Venkatesan of anti-corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam against the DVAC officials, the justice concurred with the petitioner’s counsel V. Suresh that the behaviour of the officials was surely contumacious. Nevertheless, to springiness them 1 much opportunity, the justice adjourned the proceeding connected the contempt plea to November 10, 2025.
When Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak assured the tribunal that the DVAC would translate each vernacular documents successful English wrong 4 weeks and past guardant a connection to the Centre for granting authorisation to prosecute 2 IAS officers, the justice directed him to study advancement connected the adjacent day of proceeding and besides taxable an mentation arsenic to wherefore the officers acrophobic should not beryllium punished.
The justice said, if the DVAC had faced immoderate issues successful filing the charge-sheets wrong the clip stipulated by him successful April 2024, it ought to person filed an due exertion seeking hold of time. However, it had miserably failed to record immoderate specified application. Further, adjacent aft the filing of the contiguous contempt plea, the investigating bureau had failed to amusement immoderate important advancement successful the matter, helium said.
He refused to judge the DVAC’s mentation that it had, indeed, forwarded a connection to the Centre for granting authorisation to prosecute 2 IAS officers but the connection was returned for privation of translated copies of the supporting documents successful vernacular language. The justice said, the DVAC, being a specialised bureau probing lone corruption cases, ought to person been alert of specified requirements.
He said, the request of submitting translated copies of vernacular documents came into unit from October 18, 2024, itself and hence, the DVAC could not mention it arsenic an excuse adjacent aft a year. “This tribunal finds that the responsive has not complied with the directions fixed by this tribunal successful missive and spirit... The behaviour connected the portion of the responsive surely hovers astir contumacious conduct,” the justice wrote.
