DVAC raids two former AIADMK ministers in corruption cases

Sources in the DVAC said a total of 26 premises owned by or linked to Velumani, one of the powerful ministers in the Palaniswami cabinet, were raided

Two former AIADMK ministers – S P Velumani and C Vijayabaskar – on Tuesday came under the radar of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) whose sleuths searched 39 locations owned by or linked to them in connection with two separate corruption cases.

The fresh case against Velumani is that he “abused” his official position as Municipal Administration Minister in awarding tenders “injudiciously” to companies closely associated with him for replacing street lights with LED lights in rural areas causing a loss of Rs 500 crore to the exchequer.

Vijayabaskar, the then health minister, has been accused of issuing an Essentiality Certificate to Vels Medical College Hospital in Tiruvallur district by certifying it as a full-fledged 250 bed-hospital even as it was just under construction, the FIR said.

It also said the ex-minister along with the Director of Medical Services obtained “undue pecuniary” advantage from the college management. Both Velumani and Vijayabaskar were raided in the past after DVAC registered cases of disproportionate assets (DA) against them.

Sources in the DVAC said a total of 26 premises owned by or linked to Velumani, one of the powerful ministers in the Edappadi K Palaniswami cabinet, were raided since morning. Of these, 10 are in Chennai, nine in Coimbatore, and seven in towns like Chengalpattu, Avadi, and Tambaram. As many as 13 places – Chennai (5), Salem (3), and one each in Madurai, Theni, Tiruvallur, Tambaram, and Pudukkottai -- are being searched in connection with the case filed against Vijayabaskar.

Besides Vijayabaskar, Ishari K Ganesh, Trustee, Vels Institute, the institute’s dean and four government doctors have also been named as accused. The FIR said a detailed enquiry by a medical team in 2021 concluded that the team which approved the issuance of the Essentiality Certificate gave a false report that the building and functional complied with all requirements.

The FIR added that it was Vijayabaskar who “abused” his official position by asking the inspecting team to furnish a “fraudulent report” favouring Vels Medical College. “In the relevant time around the grant of approval by A-1 (Vijayabaskar), there are grounds to believe that he received pecuniary advantage from Ishari K Ganesh and his associates,” it said.