The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent a fresh, 258-page dossier to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police (DGP), and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), alleging a large-scale tender manipulation and kickback network linked to Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Minister K. N. Nehru. The central agency has urged the state to register an FIR under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and other applicable laws, marking the second major communication from the ED to the state government in just over a month.
ED Claims 7.5–10% Commission Taken on MAWS Department Tenders
According to the ED, Nehru and individuals close to him allegedly collected between 7.5% and 10% of the total value of municipal contracts. The agency’s letter claims that tenders under the MAWS Department covering construction works, public toilets, sanitation outsourcing, NABARD schemes, worker housing, and waterbody renovation were allegedly manipulated, with contractors “pre-decided” before tenders were formally opened.
ED officials say the dossier includes:
- Photographs recovered from mobile phones and digital devices
- WhatsApp chats
- Excel sheets and “bribe calculation sheets”
- Handwritten ledgers
- Hawala chits
- Bank statements and international remittance records
A senior ED officer told The Federal on condition of anonymity, “Every single rupee of bribe is accounted for. The commission rate was fixed between 7% and 10%, often 7.5% on every municipal contract. We now have the complete list municipality-wise, project-wise, contractor-wise, promised commission and actual collection.”
The ED says the alleged kickback collections amount to ₹1,020 crore, based on records recovered from only two individuals, indicating the overall scale could be significantly higher.
“Party Fund” Columns and Hawala Routes Flagged
Spreadsheets seized during the raids reportedly contain a column titled “Party Fund”, suggesting a portion of the alleged kickbacks may have been diverted to the DMK. The ED claims to have traced hawala-based transfers to other Indian states and overseas destinations, including Dubai.
Investigators say the money trail includes bank statements and informal transfer records designed to evade detection.
Second Major Probe Against KN Nehru in Recent Months
This development follows an earlier ED communication on 27 October 2025, which alleged irregularities in an ₹888-crore job recruitment scam tied to True Value Homes Pvt Ltd, a firm linked to Nehru’s brother K. N. Ravichandran. That case involved allegations of 2,538 irregular job appointments, each allegedly involving payments of ₹35 lakh, uncovered during a separate bank-fraud investigation.
Last week’s raids at locations in Trichy, Coimbatore, and Chennai reportedly yielded more than 300 photographs and multiple digital files showing Nehru with individuals described by ED as “key players” in the alleged network.
Source: The Federal
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