Dyaneshwaran (centre), IAS officer, at the Egmore Economic Offences Court, in 1996.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Chennai Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable properties, fixed deposits (FDs), and bank accounts approximately worth ₹2.56 crore that belonged to late A.N. Dyaneshwaran, who was an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, and his family members under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The ED initiated an investigation in 2017 on the basis of an FIR/charge-sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Chennai, under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Dyaneshwaran. It was alleged in the FIR that while functioning as a public servant in various capacities in the Tami Nadu government, he had abused his official position, and through corrupt and unlawful means amassed assets, which were highly disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The charge-sheet filed by the CBI on March 14, 2001, quantified the disproportionate assets held by late Dyaneshwaran and his family at ₹7.34 crore, for the period between July 11, 1991, and January 31, 1996. The trial of this case is at an advanced stage.
The ED investigation revealed that the former IAS officer, while serving as a public servant, acquired several immovable and movable assets in the name of his family members, M/s Shilpi Grih Constructions, and Dr. Dharmambal Namasivayam Trust.
Accordingly, the ED has attached 16 immovable properties, out of which 12 immovable properties are direct Proceeds of Crime (POC), acquired by Dyaneshwaran and his family between 1991 and 1996. The value of 16 immovable properties, as on the date of acquisition, is about ₹1.7 crore.
The ED has also attached FDs and bank accounts operated by the family members of Dyaneshwaran, containing ₹86.24 lakh. Earlier, on February 28, 2025, it had conducted a search in this case. A Provisional Attachment Order dated March 27 of this year was also issued, wherein assets valuing ₹1.19 crore were attached. The acquisition value of all assets attached to date in this case is ₹3.75 crore, the ED said in a statement.
Further investigation is under progress.
Published – September 24, 2025 12:24 pm IST
