Madras HC directs FIR against TN minister in cash-for-jobs scam
What's the story
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to register a criminal case against DMK Minister KN Nehru immediately. The court's order comes in light of an alleged cash-for-jobs scam worth over ₹630 crore. A division bench, headed by Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, found that the material provided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed a cognizable offense that could not be delayed.
Legal proceedings
'Corruption involves hundreds of crores'
The court dismissed the state's argument that DVAC could wait for a "detailed inquiry" before registering an FIR. It emphasized that when corruption involves hundreds of crores, there is enough material to register a case without delay. The ED had shared "voluminous details" under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on October 27, 2025, which should have prompted immediate action by the state.
Government scrutiny
Court slams Tamil Nadu government for delays
The high court also criticized the Tamil Nadu government for failing to meet legal deadlines in conducting preliminary inquiries. It said, "The state is only finding ways and means to delay registering a case." The court stressed that this was not just a "bare complaint" but detailed information with evidence provided by the ED.
Case registration
Order passed on 2 writ petitions
The order was passed on two writ petitions seeking an FIR and probe against Nehru. One was filed by AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP IS Inbadurai, and the other by K Athinarayanan, a private citizen from Madurai. The judges were inclined to let an "independent specialized agency" investigate, but decided against transferring it, as DVAC had already started a preliminary exercise.
Evidence dispute
High Court disagreed with DVAC's submissions
The court disagreed with DVAC's submissions that ED's communication was treated as first information and that a "detailed inquiry" had started. ED Special Public Prosecutor N Ramesh told the court on February 6 this year that they had shared 232 pages of material showing wrongdoing in transfers and appointments in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.
Document provenance
Advocate General questioned provenance of documents
However, Advocate General PS Raman questioned the provenance of these documents. He argued that ED had collected them during search and seizure operations in April 2025 related to a bank fraud case. A different division bench had quashed the Enforcement Case Information Report in that case on July 24, 2025. Despite this controversy over its source, the court chose to focus on the "nature of information" rather than its source.