Madras High Court quashes corruption charges against AIADMK leader SP Velumani

The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed one of the two First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Tamil Nadu Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) against AIADMK leader SP Velumani [Arappor Iyakkam v. The Director and others]..A Bench of Justices PN Prakash and RMT Teeka Raman quashed the FIR against Velumani on the charge of alleged irregularities in awarding civic tenders for the Chennai and Coimbatore municipal bodies during his tenure as the State Minister of Municipal Administration.The present FIR was registered by the DVAC against Velumani and 16 others in August 2021, after a complaint was filed by non-governmental organization (NGO) Arappor Iyakkam..The Court also clarified that the quashing relief was meant only for Velumani, and not the remaining co-accused in the FIR registered on corruption charges..During today's hearing, the Court refused to quash the second FIR against Velumani, registered by the DVAC suo motu on the charge of having assets disproportionate to his income.In the second FIR registered in March this year, the DVAC had alleged that during his tenure as a State Minister between 2016 and 2021, Velumani indulged in corrupt activities and acquired properties and pecuniary resources in his name and in the names of his family members, relatives, close associates and others, which are disproportionate to his known sources of income. The second FIR was registered against Velumani and 12 others..Velumani had approached the High Court earlier this year seeking that both the FIRs against him be quashed, since they were politically motivated and mala fide.His counsel had argued that he had nothing to do with the awarding of the contracts and tenders. It was further argued that as a minister, his responsibility was merely to ensure that the contracts were executed properly. Velumani had also said that the FIRs had been registered against him at the behest of the DMK party..The State government, however, denied allegations of mala fide and submitted that the DVAC had conducted lawful inquiries and found enough material on record against Velumani.They had argued that Velumani conspired with other civic officials to ensure that the tenders were awarded to firms owned by his relatives, despite the fact that the bids made were drastically low..Last month, however, the High Court had said that prima facie, it seemed as if the FIRs against him were mala fide. The Court had reserved orders in the matter on November 8.In 2019, NGO Arappor Iyakkam had filed a PIL highlighting instances of corruption in awarding of tenders by civic bodies in Chennai and Coimbatore, and Velumani's involvement in the same during the AIADMK regime. The High Court had appointed Superintendent of Police R Ponni to probe into the complaints and find out whether any cognisable offence was made out.The officer gave a clean chit to Velumani in December 2019, and in January 2020, the government in power accepted the preliminary inquiry. However, after a change of rule in Tamil Nadu, in May 2021, the DVAC registered two FIRs against Velumani..Senior Advocate SV Raju appeared for Velumani. Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram and State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohammad Jinnah appeared for the State.