The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has questioned why the Tamil translation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat, titled Manathin Kural, was rejected for procurement and never made it to the shelves of Tamil Nadu’s public libraries. The judges recorded that when they confronted the Director of Public Libraries with this information, there was only silence.
In an order dated 11 November 2026, in Contempt Petition No. 3763 of 2026, Justices G.R. Swaminathan and M.D. Sumathi noted that the book had reportedly been recommended for procurement but was subsequently rejected. The Bench recorded that it wanted to verify the information and sought an explanation directly from the Director of Public Libraries but received no response.
The observation came during proceedings concerning alleged irregularities in the procurement of books for public libraries across Tamil Nadu. The court also questioned a payment of ₹17 lakh to a little-known publisher, Agal Vilakku, while an established publishing house received an order worth just ₹23,000.
Kizhakku Pathippagam Publisher Flags Disproportionate Payments
During the hearing, the Bench noticed that Badrinarayanan Seshadri of Kizhakku Pathippagam had logged in to the proceedings and invited him to make submissions.
Seshadri is a publisher and entrepreneur, and an alumnus of IIT and IIM. He is associated with Kizhakku Pathippagam, one of Tamil Nadu’s established publishing houses. His intervention brought attention to the disparity in procurement orders issued to publishers.
The court recorded his submission that the Director of Public Libraries had disclosed that ₹17 lakh alone had been paid to Agal Vilakku.
Drawing a comparison, Seshadri pointed out that Kizhakku Pathippagam, despite having published hundreds of books, had received an order worth only ₹23,000.
The order recorded, “‘Kizhakku Pathippagam’ which has published hundreds of books was handed an order for Rs.23,000/-. Agal Vilakku, which is a shady entity, on the other hand was paid Rs.17.00 lakhs.”
According to Seshadri, Agal Vilakku had offered 2,335 titles, of which 1,700 were selected for procurement. He questioned how such a large number of books from a publisher whose titles were not even available in the market could have been selected without raising suspicion.
He further suggested that Agal Vilakku might have been clandestinely inserted into the procurement process, which was conducted digitally, without the knowledge of the Recommendation Committee comprising reputed individuals.
Seshadri also offered to assist the investigating authorities in uncovering the alleged cyber fraud, citing his technical background. The court acknowledged his offer to provide his services free of cost and observed that it was for the investigating authorities to take it up.
Court Seeks Comprehensive Procurement Records
The Bench observed that the Department of Public Libraries should publish a consolidated and comprehensive list of books procured for public libraries over the last two decades.
The list should include the number of books purchased and the amounts paid to individual suppliers.
Seshadri also alleged that suppliers who were willing to bribe officials had their bills settled without delay. He suggested that the Director of Public Libraries should disclose the dates on which suppliers submitted their bills and when the payments were actually settled.
The court recorded his submission and observed that such information was necessary to establish transparency in the procurement process.
It further cautioned that if the requested details were withheld, the people of Tamil Nadu would draw their own adverse inferences.
Suspect Books Removed from Public Libraries
The court also recorded that public libraries across Tamil Nadu had already prepared lists of suspect books and removed them from their shelves.
It directed the Director of Public Libraries to furnish details of the number of such books dispatched to various public libraries and the total amounts paid for these publications.
The Bench specifically referred to several established publishing houses, including Vijaya Pathippagam, Sandhiya Pathippagam, Kaalachuvadu, Uyirmai Pathippagam, Vishnupuram, New Century Book House, Desanthiri and Manimegalai Prasuram.
The Department was asked to provide the number of books and titles procured from these publishers as well.
The judges also made a pointed observation about the alleged irregularities surrounding Agal Vilakku, remarking:
“Agal Vilakku means earthen lamp. It signifies light. The unanimous public opinion is that it should have been condemned to eternal darkness.”
The court called upon the Department and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to take appropriate action, stating that officials associated with the alleged scam should not escape accountability.
However, it clarified that it was not pronouncing anyone guilty without giving them an opportunity to respond.
“No individual has been condemned by us. Without giving the fullest opportunity, we will not conclude that any particular individual is guilty of wilful breach of the judicial order made in WP(MD)No.10150 of 2019.”
Directors Undertake to Produce Records
The Bench placed on record undertakings given by the Director of Public Libraries and the Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to produce all relevant details and records concerning the procurement.
It directed that the affidavit to be filed by the Director of Public Libraries should include details of suspect books distributed to public libraries across Tamil Nadu, along with the amounts paid for the publications.
The court also mandated the production of all relevant procurement records and called for a proactive response from the Department.
The matter has been posted to 16 November 2026, at 2.15 pm, for reporting compliance and further action.
We were informed that the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat which was translated in Tamil as “Manathin Kural” was recommended for procurement but rejected and did not make it to the book shelves of the public libraries of Tamil Nadu. We wanted to confirm the veracity of this information. When we confronted the Director of Public Libraries, there was only silence: Justices G.R. Swaminathan and M.D. Sumathi at the Madurai Bench of #MadrasHighCourt
— Mohamed Imranullah S (@imranhindu) November 11, 2026
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