The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has filed an FIR against an official of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department for amassing Rs.41 lakh during his tenure as the Joint Commissioner of Kanyakumari district temples.
M.Anbumani, a lawyer by profession, joined the TN HRCE department as an assistant commissioner in 1999. Between 15.09.2017 and 11.03.2021, he was the Joint Commissioner(JE) of Kanyakumari district temples. Several allegations of corruption and unlawful wealth accumulation were made against him with the HRCE department during this period.
FIR filed by Anti-Corruption Police angst TN Govt HR&CE Joint Commissioner-Kanyakumari Dist Temples Mr. Anbumani-for amassing Rs. 40 Lakhs in 26 months disproportionate to his salary. He continues to administer Tuticorin and Tenkasi District Temples. #Shame @PKSekarbabu @Swamy39 pic.twitter.com/kMLGzOD5qE
— trramesh (@trramesh) July 8, 2021
The charges against Anbumani were investigated by the vigilance and anti-corruption department, which found them to be true. The amount of wealth he made as a JE from October 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019, was examined, and the bureau came to the conclusion that he had amassed assets disproportionate to his income during that period.
The disproportionate assets are estimated to be worth Rs.41 lakh by the bureau (40,90,734). An FIR was filed against Anbumani as a result of his amassing assets disproportionate to his salary while working as a government employee. Anbumani is currently the Regional Joint Commissioner for the temples of Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts.
The illegally gained wealth is reported to have been utilized by JE Anbumani to purchase property near the Kumara Kovil temple, which is administered by those who retired from HR&CE jobs. Anbumani is also accused of interfering with HR&CE-run institutions. While activists applaud the bureau’s move, Hindus remain concerned that the elephant in the room, government control of temples, which is the root of such corruption, is not being addressed.
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