'Rs 25-35 lakh for one post': ED claims 'scam' in Tamil Nadu municipal administration department

Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate has sought registration of an FIR by the Tamil Nadu Police into an alleged recruitment scam in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department as it claimed that certain public servants and politicians were involved.

The federal probe agency has alleged that as many as 2,500 candidates were selected by the state government through this recruitment process and bribes amounting to Rs 25-35 lakh per candidate were collected by the accused.

The agency, sources said, has recently written a letter to the state director general of police (DGP) sharing "evidences" like documents, photos and WhatsApp chats gathered by it linked to the alleged scam.

The ED has used powers available to it under section 66 (disclosure of information) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) while sharing information with the police about the alleged irregularities in the said state government hiring.

Under this clause, the ED shares evidence with a primary probe agency like the police to get registered an FIR so that it can take cognisance of the predicate offence (registered by police) to file a money laundering case, as stipulated under the scheme of PMLA.

It was communicated to the police that the ED stumbled upon the evidence related to the MAWS recruitment scam while conducting searches in a separate bank fraud case, a probe first initiated by the CBI, in April.

The ED has informed the Tamil Nadu Police that it seized certain devices which contain evidence related to alleged corruption and malpractices in the exams and selection process of officers and staff for MAWS during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years.

The agency has shared details of about 150 candidates who purportedly gave bribes for selection, according to the sources.

It was found that the alleged bribe money was collected in cash and transferred using the hawala network, they said.

The agency has sought registration of a police FIR to probe the alleged irregularities by filing a money laundering case, the sources said.