Tension prevailed in Pudukkottai after the District Crime Branch police arrested a functionary of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in connection with an alleged financial fraud involving more than ₹20 crore to ₹25 crore collected from over 100 people under the pretext of offering high returns on investment and various personal commitments, as reported in ANI.
The accused, identified as Saravanan, belongs to the Thiruvappur area of Pudukkottai city and serves as a Central District Executive Committee Member of TVK in Pudukkottai district.
According to police sources, Saravanan allegedly collected huge sums of money from several prominent individuals, private lenders and residents in and around Pudukkottai over the past several years. Investigators said he obtained amounts ranging from ₹30 lakh to ₹1.5 crore from different persons by promising unusually high interest returns and business-related benefits.
Police said the accused allegedly used different stories to gain the trust of victims. In some instances, he reportedly claimed the money was needed for his mother’s medical treatment, while in other cases he spoke about insurance claims, hospital-related expenses, jewellery purchases, low-interest financial arrangements and business investments. Victims alleged that he gave different explanations to different people so that none of them would realise the scale of the alleged fraud.
R.Saravanan (31), a #TVK district level functionary and aide of Aranthangi TVK MLA Muhammed Farvace, was arrested by Pudukkottai police from Nagpur in an alleged multi-crore fraud case. Police said he collected lakhs from several people, including TVK workers, by promising… pic.twitter.com/CBpu5V72U9
— Pearson abraham/பியர்சன் (@pearsonlenekar) May 11, 2026
One affected person said Saravanan had taken money from multiple members within the same family as well as from different localities without the victims knowing that others had also invested money with him.
According to victims, Saravanan allegedly told one person that the funds were required for his mother’s uterus surgery, while another person was told it was for gallbladder surgery. Others claimed he cited doctors, hospitals and insurance-related matters while seeking financial assistance.
Police sources said the total amount involved could exceed ₹25 crore.
Victims alleged that Saravanan had been unreachable for the past 15 days, with all four of his mobile phone numbers switched off. When some of the investors went to his residence looking for him, they were allegedly informed that he had travelled out of state.
As word spread among victims, several people reportedly discovered that they had all invested money with the same individual. One complainant stated that people only began realising the extent of the alleged fraud after discussing the matter with one another over the last two weeks.
Fearing that Saravanan could misuse the name of the ruling party and evade repayment following recent political developments in Tamil Nadu, several affected persons submitted complaints to the Pudukkottai District Superintendent of Police over the past ten days.
அதிக வட்டி தருவதாக கூறி ரூ.25 கோடி மோசடி செய்த வழக்கில் தவெக நிர்வாகி கைது#Pudukkottai | #TVK | #MoneyScam | #Police | #Arrest | #PolimerNews pic.twitter.com/0eGYBpDeJQ
— Polimer News (@polimernews) May 12, 2026
Based on the complaints, the District Crime Branch police launched an investigation and search operation. Saravanan was eventually traced and arrested from another state before being brought back to Pudukkottai for interrogation at the District Crime Branch office.
Following news of the arrest, more than 100 affected persons gathered at the office of the Pudukkottai Superintendent of Police, creating a tense atmosphere in the area. Some members of the crowd allegedly demanded that Saravanan be handed over to them, stating that they would “take care of him themselves.”
Police officials later pacified the gathering and assured the victims that a formal case had been registered against the accused and that he would be produced before the court. Officials also stated that efforts would be made to take him into further custody for detailed interrogation and to recover the money allegedly collected from investors.
However, several affected persons continued to remain inside the Superintendent of Police’s office premises demanding swift recovery of their investments, resulting in continued tension in the locality.
Police officials said investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the alleged fraud, identify additional victims and trace the financial transactions connected to the case.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
