DVAC may file review against order to register FIR in cash for jobs scam in K.N. Nehru’s department, A-G tells Madras High Court

Tamil Nadu Advocate General P.S. Raman on Tuesday (March 3, 2026) told the Madras High Court the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) is contemplating to file a review petition against the court’s February 20, 2026 order to register a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the alleged cash for jobs scam in Minister K.N. Nehru’s Municipal Administration and Water Supply department.

He made the submission before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan during the hearing of a contempt of court petition filed by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Rajya Sabha member I.S. Inbadurai against DVAC former director (in-charge) A.T. Durai Kumar for alleged disobedience of the order to register the FIR forthwith.

Opening the arguments on behalf of the petitioner, senior counsel V. Raghavachari said, more than 10 days had lapsed since the court ordered registration of FIR “forthwith” but the DVAC was yet to register the case. When the Chief Justice wanted to know the response of the State from the A-G who was present in the court hall, Mr. Raman replied that Advocate General generally does not appear in contempt petitions.

He said, senior counsel N.R. Elango would be representing the DVAC. Nevertheless, since the court had asked him, the A-G said, the DVAC was contemplating to file a review petition. He also stated the agency had even sought an opinion from him as to whether a sanction from the State government under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988 must be obtained before registering the FIR.

After hearing their preliminary submissions, the Chief Justice’s Bench directed the DVAC to file a detailed response to the contempt plea within two weeks and adjourned the hearing thereafter. In his affidavit, the AIADMK MP had accused Mr. Durai Kumar, who was holding the post of DVAC director before the appointment of S. Davidson Devasirvatham on March 1, of having wilfully disobeyed the court order.

Mr. Inbadurai said, the scam was of very serious nature, in which bribe amounts ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹35 lakh had been obtained from candidates to fill up 2,538 posts of Assistant Engineers, Junior Engineers, and so on. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) had unearthed credible materials to suspect that the money was obtained through hawala transactions and thereafter brought into the banking system.

The central agency had collected those materials during a search-and-seizure operation carried out by it at the residences of the Minister’s brothers N. Ravichandran, K.N. Manivannan, and two other associates. Even during the hearing of a writ petition filed by the MP seeking registration of FIR by DVAC, the ED had supported the petitioner’s plea and insisted that the FIR should indeed be registered forthwith.

After being convinced of the gravity of the charge, the High Court on February 20, 2026, expressed displeasure over the DVAC having conducted a preliminary inquiry, without registering an FIR, and ordered that the FIR must be registered forthwith since the prima facie materials regarding the offence had been shared by none other than a Central agency tasked with the responsibility of probing money laundering cases.