Over 41,000 pages of Tamil records must be translated before Centre clears prosecution in ₹98.25 crore corruption probe
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has told the Madras High Court that the Centre’s insistence on translated copies of all vernacular documents has delayed sanction to prosecute two IAS officers in the high-profile corruption case involving former AIADMK minister S.P. Velumani.
Appearing before Justice N. Anand Venkatesh, Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak explained that this translation requirement, introduced by the Union Government in 2024, has slowed down investigations into officials accused of corruption.
Translation Mandate Stalls Progress
The Velumani case involves more than 41,000 pages of evidence, many of them in Tamil, linked to alleged irregularities in contract awards during his tenure as Municipal Administration Minister between 2014 and 2018.
“Since 2024, the Union Government has mandated submission of translated versions of all vernacular documents before considering sanctions for prosecuting IAS officers,” Thilak told the court.
Case Background: Loss of ₹98.25 Crore
The case was initiated on a petition filed by Jayaram Venkatesan, founder of the anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam. Representing him, Advocate S. Tanvi noted that though the FIR was registered in 2021 and the investigation completed within two years, prosecution sanction for two IAS officers remains pending:
K.S. Kandasamy
K. Vijaya Karthikeyan
The officers, along with Velumani, stand accused of causing a loss of ₹98.25 crore to the state exchequer by manipulating contracts in the Greater Chennai and Coimbatore Corporations.
Sanction Granted for Velumani, Not for Bureaucrats
The Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker, M. Appavu, granted sanction to prosecute Velumani on February 12, 2024. However, clearance from the Centre for the IAS officers is still awaited. The petitioner argued that this delay was “unjustifiable,” especially as DVAC has already filed chargesheets in two parts of the case:
Relaying of bus route roads
Supply of drivers, cleaners, and tipper lorries for garbage collection
A third strand of the probe — regarding alleged manipulation of tenders for outsourcing 302 staff nurses in urban primary health centres — remains incomplete. The DVAC has yet to justify this delay.
Court Sets Timeline for Final Hearing
Justice Venkatesh, noting the repeated procedural hurdles, directed the High Court Registry to list the contempt petition for final hearing next month. The judge had earlier questioned the special court’s delay in even taking the chargesheets on file.
The case carries significant political and bureaucratic implications, with the Centre’s translation rule emerging as a key bottleneck in prosecuting senior officials.
