The Madras High Court has raised serious questions regarding the Tamil Nadu government’s stance on corruption and irregularities in state offices. The issue came to light after a petition filed by Kokila from Puducherry, whose husband is an inmate at Puzhal Prison. Kokila alleged that her husband had not received his prison wages for the past four months.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel submitted media reports highlighting a Central Audit Department finding about corruption worth ₹14 crore in the sale of products made by prison inmates in Tamil Nadu. Taking note of the seriousness of the allegations, the court had earlier directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to submit a report on the actions taken in this regard. The case was then adjourned to 16 December 2024.
When the matter was heard again by a bench comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and M. Jothiraman, the Additional Public Prosecutor R. Muniyapparaj submitted a report. The report revealed that while the Central Audit Department had flagged irregularities as early as September 2022, a First Information Report (FIR) was only registered on 13 December 2024. The court questioned the delay in initiating action despite the audit findings.
The bench further inquired about the Tamil Nadu government’s stance on addressing corruption in state offices. The judges pressed the government to clarify whether it takes such allegations seriously and emphasized that officials guilty of wrongdoing should not be allowed to retire with full benefits. Strong actions should be taken against such individuals, the court insisted.
In response, the Additional Public Prosecutor assured the court that the government treats corruption complaints with utmost seriousness. He explained that the delay was due to preliminary investigations conducted after the 2022 audit report, leading to the recent registration of the FIR.
Following this, the bench directed the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary to submit a detailed report on the matter and adjourned the hearing to 6 January 2025.
(With inputs from OneIndia Tamil)
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