The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reportedly uncovered evidence of an alleged multi-crore bribery network involving ministers and government officials during the 2021–2026 DMK regime in Tamil Nadu, with multinational companies allegedly paying kickbacks to secure approvals for industrial parks and data centre projects.
According to a report by The Free Press Journal (FPJ), the documents reviewed by the publication indicate multiple instances of alleged bribe payments in 2021, 2023 and 2024 for at least five major industrial park and data centre projects in the state. The alleged payments were made to fast-track clearances, obtain Government Orders (GOs) and secure approvals from various departments.
The ED reportedly stumbled upon the evidence while investigating the hawala dealings of a middleman who facilitated government clearances for multinational firms. The material reviewed by FPJ includes documents, WhatsApp conversations and official statements.
The revelations come after the ED unearthed alleged cash-for-jobs, tender and transfer scams linked to the DMK regime.
Alleged Bribe Rate Cards for Government Clearances
The documents reportedly detail a system of fixed bribe rates for obtaining approvals from different government departments, including the Housing and Urban Development Department, the Revenue Department, the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and other agencies.
One of the alleged rates was Rs 27 per square foot, reportedly paid to the minister handling housing and urban development.
The documents also indicate that Rs 1.01 crore was allegedly paid to obtain Government Orders from ministers and the CMDA member secretary. In another instance, Rs 5 crore was reportedly paid to the Revenue Minister to secure clearance under the land ceiling law.
Other alleged payments included Rs 3.5 crore to reroute a canal running through the site of an industrial project and Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore to a minister and DTCP officials for approvals.
The documents further indicate an alleged payment of Rs 9 per square foot to a minister and the relevant member secretary for environmental clearances and a Consent to Establish (CTE). A separate payment of Rs 10 lakh was allegedly made to a senior electricity board officer, while Rs 4 lakh was reportedly paid to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department.
Bribes were also allegedly paid to officials in the Agriculture Department to obtain an NOC certifying that a proposed project was not being established on wetland.
The alleged payments extended to officers of several line departments. A document from 2024 reportedly indicates that Rs 25 lakh was paid to officials in departments including the electricity board, Public Works Department, DTCP and CMDA for clearances and approvals.
Rs 1.89 Crore Bribe for Rs 1,600 Crore Data Centre Project
A calculation sheet dated February 2024 reportedly details the alleged bribe payments made to secure approvals for a data centre project worth Rs 1,600 crore. The project was brought to Tamil Nadu by a company from a Southeast Asian country.
According to the documents, the project was cleared only after an alleged bribe of Rs 1.89 crore was paid to a member secretary and ministers.
In another instance, a foreign company allegedly paid Rs 1.44 crore to the minister handling urban development for a data centre project in Ambattur, Chennai. The project involved a land parcel measuring 5.36 lakh square feet, the documents reportedly show.
The alleged payments indicate how companies seeking to establish large industrial and data centre facilities in Tamil Nadu were made to pay substantial sums to secure government approvals.
Minister Allegedly Demanded Additional Rs 20 Per Square Foot
The documents reportedly detail another instance from 2023 in which a DMK minister allegedly demanded an additional bribe of Rs 20 per square foot and halted the movement of a project file.
The intervention of an influential person through a grievance cell was allegedly required to bring down the demanded amount. Following the intervention, a payment of Rs 1.27 crore was reportedly made for a project covering 3.87 lakh square feet.
In September 2021, a district collector was allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh to resolve a patta-related issue for an industrial park project.
These instances, as described in the documents, point to alleged bribery at multiple levels of the administrative process, from land-related clearances to departmental approvals.
Foreign Companies Allegedly Routed Bribes Through Consultants and Middlemen
The ED’s investigation reportedly uncovered an alleged network through which multinational companies routed payments to secure clearances.
According to the documents, foreign firms transferred money through consultants operating in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. These consultants allegedly passed the money to intermediaries, who subsequently delivered the bribes in cash to ministers and government officials.
One of the middlemen was reportedly referred to as ‘Supreme Account’, a name associated with the intermediary or his account in the documents.
The alleged network also involved brokers who pocketed substantial commissions at different stages of the transactions.
The evidence reportedly includes WhatsApp conversations and statements that the ED examined as part of its investigation into the middleman’s hawala dealings.
Chennai Builder Allegedly Paid Rs 25 Lakh to Excise Minister
The documents also reportedly refer to an alleged bribery incident involving a prominent Chennai-based builder.
According to material dated October 2021, the builder allegedly paid Rs 25 lakh to the Prohibition and Excise Minister to obtain permission to start a resto-bar. Policemen in Chennai were also allegedly bribed in connection with the establishment, the documents reportedly indicate.
The allegation adds another instance of an alleged payment made to secure government-related permissions during the DMK’s tenure.
DMK Leaders Deny Allegations or Decline to Comment
Responding to the allegations, DMK sources told FPJ that they would comment only if the Enforcement Directorate issued an official statement.
S Muthusamy, who held the Housing portfolio in the DMK government, denied the allegations when contacted by the publication.
“All approvals were done as per procedure without any deviation,” he said.
PK Sekar Babu, who held the CMDA-related ministerial portfolio, did not respond to calls and messages seeking his comment.
My Exclusive for @fpjindia today: Ministers, officials took huge bribes for clearing industrial parks, data centre projects of multinational firms during the 2021-26 DMK regime, evidence with Enforcement Directorate (ED) shows.
What the evidence alleges (pertains to specific projects, details of which I have):
– Rs 27/square feet paid to minister of housing and urban development
-Bribe rate card shows Rs 1.01 crore paid to obtain GOs from ministers and CMDA member secretary
-Rs 5 crore to Revenue Minister for clearance under land ceiling act
-Rs 2-2.5 crore to minister and DTCP officials
-Rs 9 per square feet to minister and officials for Environmental Clearance and Consent to Operate (CTE)
Specific instance:
-For a Rs 1600 crore data centre project, Rs 1.89 crore bribe paid. Rs 1.44 crore for data centre project in Ambattur
-In 2023, One DMK minister quoted additional Rs 20/square feet, halted file movement. Influential person intervened to reduce it
-Collector took bribe of Rs 50 lakh
-Bribes paid by multinational firms through consultants who transfer to middlemen, who then give cash to ministers/officials. ‘Supreme Account’ name of one middleman/his account
-Chennai-builder paid Rs 25 lakh bribe to Prohibition and Excise minister for starting a resto-barHow did ED find this evidence? They stumbled upon it while probing a hawala case of a middleman who facilitated clearances for these firms.
DMK’s view:
– Can’t comment till any official statement from ED comes
-Then housing minister S Muthusamy denies all allegations.
@vsudarshan— Siddharth Prabhakar (@Sidprabhakar7) October 15, 2026
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