ED files protest petition against DVAC’s attempt to close ₹27.90 crore bribery case against former Minister Vaithilingam

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has filed a protestation petition earlier the Principal Sessions Court successful Chennai objecting to a determination by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) to adjacent a ₹27.90 crore bribery lawsuit against erstwhile AIADMK erstwhile Minister R. Vaithilingam who had resigned his MLA station successful January 2026 earlier joining the DMK.

The protestation petition, filed throug ED Special Public Prosecutor N. Ramesh, stated that the DVAC had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Vaithilingam connected September 19, 2024 for an alleged offence committed by him during his tenure arsenic Minister for Housing and Urban Development successful erstwhile Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s Cabinet betwixt 2011 and 2016.

According to the FIR, Mr. Vaithilingam, successful his capableness arsenic ex-officio president of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, had received a bribe of ₹27.90 crore from Shriram Properties and Infrastructure Private Limited (subsequently renamed arsenic Gateway Office Parks Private Limited) for granting readying support to conception 1,453 further buildings connected 57.94 acres of onshore astatine GST Road successful Perungaluthur, Chennai.

Since the FIR had been booked nether the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) of 1988, the ED excessively registered a Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) connected October 1, 2024 and initiated probe nether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The cardinal bureau completed its probe and filed a prosecution ailment (similar to a complaint sheet) earlier the Sessions Court, which was besides the peculiar tribunal for PMLA cases, connected July 14, 2025.

The PMLA probe revealed that Bharath Coal Chemicals Limited (a radical institution of Shriram Properties) had paid ₹27.90 crore to Muthammal Estates Private Limited, a institution beneficially owned and controlled by Mr. Vaithilingam and his household members, successful aggregate tranches betwixt January 28, 2016 and February 4, 2016 being the bribe information for the readying permission.

As a effect of the payment, the readying support pending since December 2, 2013 was cleared connected February 24, 2016, wrong 3 weeks of receipt of the bribe thereby conclusively establishing the quid pro quo. Further, the bribe magnitude was instantly invested successful acquisition of immovable properties successful the names of the household members of the accused and their existent marketplace worth exceeds ₹100 crore, the ED said.

Stating that it had provisionally attached each those properties pending proceedings successful the PMLA case, the ED said that it had shared the interim findings of its investigaiton with the DVAC connected March 10, 2025 and besides transmitted the full transcript of the prosecution ailment connected May 19, 2026 with a circumstantial petition to the State bureau to utilise those materials earlier filing the last study successful PCA case.

However, successful the interregnum, Mr. Vaithilingam discontinue the AIADMK successful January 2026 and joined the DMK which was the past ruling party. Immediately, the DVAC filed a closure study successful the PCA lawsuit earlier the Sessions Court successful the past week of February 2026 “in suspicious proximity to the expiry of the word of the past State government,” the protestation petition filed by ED Assistant Director Gopal Gulabrao Gadge read.

It went connected to state: “The filing of a closure study (by the DVAC) successful a lawsuit involving a implicit and documented wealth trail, conscionable earlier a alteration of authorities and without taking into relationship the broad grounds furnished by the peittioner section nether Section 66(2) of the PMLA raises sedate doubts astir the bona fides of the investigation.”

Fearing that the PMLA lawsuit investigated by the ED would illness if the accused escapes from the DVAC case, the cardinal bureau urged the sessions tribunal to cull the closure study filed by the DVAC and consequently nonstop the State bureau to behaviour a further probe earlier filing a broad last report/chargesheet successful the PCA lawsuit too.

The protestation petition is expected to beryllium taken up for proceeding by the Sessions Court connected Friday (June 12, 2026).