The Madras High Court has directed former Public Department Secretary Rita Harish Thakkar to appear before the court through video conferencing on 3 August 2026, expressing concern over the prolonged delay in processing the prosecution sanction for two IAS officers in the alleged ₹98.25 crore tender irregularities case linked to former AIADMK minister SP Velumani, as reported in The New Indian Express.
The direction was issued by Justice N. Anand Venkatesh while hearing a contempt petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam, which has been pursuing the case involving alleged irregularities in the award of tenders by the Chennai and Coimbatore Municipal Corporations between 2014 and 2018, when the AIADMK was in power.
The court observed that despite the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) forwarding the required clarifications on 27 February 2026, the Public Department had allegedly not sent the proposal back to the Central Government for obtaining sanction to prosecute two IAS officers, Vijayakarthikeyan IAS and Kandasamy IAS.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the delay, Justice Venkatesh noted that the files had remained pending in the Public Department since February 27 without being forwarded to the Centre. Observing that no explanation had been offered by the then Public Secretary, the judge directed Rita Harish Thakkar, who retired from service on June 30, to appear before the court.
The court remarked that retirement from service did not absolve her of responsibility for actions taken during her tenure. It also directed the incumbent Public Secretary to file an affidavit explaining the reasons for the delay.
During the hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Arun Anbumani submitted that a new government had assumed office and that progress in the matter would be made soon. However, the court observed that a change in government was immaterial and stressed that the rule of law must prevail.
Justice Venkatesh also remarked that there appeared to be a deliberate attempt to delay the process of obtaining prosecution sanction from the Centre and criticised the role of IAS officers in impeding the progress of the case.
Timeline of the Case
According to Arappor Iyakkam, it first lodged a complaint over the alleged tender irregularities in the Chennai and Coimbatore Municipal Corporations in September 2018.
After what it described as a prolonged legal battle, the DVAC registered an FIR in August 2021. Following further litigation, the Madras High Court directed the agency to file a charge sheet by October 2023.
The anti-corruption agency subsequently prepared a charge sheet alleging irregularities worth ₹98.25 crore and forwarded it to the Tamil Nadu government in December 2023.
In January and February 2024, sanction was granted to prosecute former minister SP Velumani and several engineers. However, prosecution of IAS officers Vijayakarthikeyan and Kandasamy required prior approval from the Central Government.
Arappor Iyakkam alleged that although the proposal was ready, the file remained pending with the Public Department from January 2024 without being forwarded to the Centre. This prompted the organisation to file a contempt petition in April 2024, after which the court granted the authorities two weeks to proceed with filing the charge sheet.
The organisation stated that it initiated another contempt petition in 2025. According to its account, only after the matter came up for hearing in August 2025 was the proposal sent to the Central Government on 30 August 2025.
The Central Government reportedly returned the proposal on 1 September 2025, seeking translated documents. After completing the translation, the Tamil Nadu government resubmitted the proposal on 7 November 2025.
On 4 February 2026, the Centre sought additional clarifications. The DVAC submitted the required clarifications to the State Public Department on 27 February 2026. Arappor Iyakkam has alleged that since then, the proposal has once again remained pending with the Public Department without being forwarded to the Central Government.
The organisation said the prolonged delays have significantly slowed the prosecution process. It also claimed that during its pursuit of the case, it had faced 18 contempt proceedings and 13 allegedly false FIRs.
அறப்போர் வழக்கில் பொதுத்துறை செயலர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் ஆஜராக உயர்நீதிமன்றம் ஆணை ! பின்னணி என்ன ?
சென்னை கோவை மாநகராட்சி ஊழல் மீது அறப்போர் புகார்: செப்டெம்பர் 2018
நெடிய நீதிமன்ற சட்ட போராட்டத்திற்கு பிறகு DVAC FIR: ஆகஸ்ட் 2021
மீண்டும் சட்ட போராட்டத்திற்கு பிறகு, அக்டோபர் 2023… pic.twitter.com/nILgqhnOly
— Jayaram Venkatesan (@JayaramArappor) July 22, 2026
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