Latest news with #DVAC
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Retired Tangedco engineer gets 2-year jail term in graft case
Trichy: A special court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases in Trichy on Wednesday sentenced a 77-year-old retired Tangedco additional chief engineer to two years' imprisonment in a bribery case filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Trichy. In 2005, P Saravanan, an electrical supervisor at a private industrial oxygen plant in Thuvakudi, had approached the then additional chief engineer, Arumugam, seeking an increase in electricity load from 175 kVA to 200 kVA. Arumugam allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹10,000 to process the request. Unwilling to pay the bribe, Saravanan lodged a complaint with DVAC. Acting on the complaint, officials laid a trap and caught Arumugam red-handed in Nov 2005 while accepting ₹5,000 in chemical-laced currency notes. After hearing the final arguments, the special court on Wednesday found Arumugam guilty and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment along with a fine of ₹20,000.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Transformer tenders case: HC orders notice to Senthil Balaji
Chennai: Madras high court on Friday ordered the issuance of a fresh notice to former minister V Senthil Balaji on a public interest writ petition alleging a 397-crore scam in transformer procurement by Tangedco. Justice P Velmurugan ordered the fresh notice as the govt counsel informed the court that notices were already served to DVAC and other official respondents except Senthil Balaji. The court then adjourned the hearing to July 3. The issue pertains to a PIL moved by anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam. According to the NGO, 10 tenders worth 1,182.88 crore were floated for the procurement of 45,800 transformers between 2021 and 2023. A detailed review of the tender documents allegedly revealed that the contracts were structured in a way that benefited certain contractors, resulting in a loss of 397 crore to the state exchequer. In seven tenders, all the bidders from 25 to 37 quoted the same price, which contravenes the provisions of Tender Transparency Act, the NGO said. Instead of quashing the tender and calling for fresh bidding, TANGEDCO went ahead and awarded the contract, they said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo The NGO further alleged that the tender for the procurement of 500kVA transformers was awarded at an inflated price of 12.49 lakh for each transformer, while the value of the transformer when floating the tender was just 7.89 lakh. It alleged that no case was registered so far, based on its complaint. Therefore, the petitioner wanted the court to order a probe into the allegations by a special investigative team formed under supervision of high court. They further alleged the involvement of former electricity minister Senthil Balaji in the scam, along with the then Tangedco chairman and managing director Rajesh Lakhoni. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Time of India
Corpn bill collector arrested for taking bribe
Trichy: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) arrested a bill collector with the Trichy Corporation, on Thursday for demanding and accepting a Rs 10,000 bribe to levy vacant land tax. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The complainant, R Srinivasan of KK Nagar, had approached bill collector J Sebastian to estimate the vacant land tax for a 5,920 sq ft plot owned by his wife Arivuselvi in Anbil Nagar, Ward 65, intended for a building. Initially, Sebastian demanded Rs 12,000 but later reduced the bribe to Rs 10,000. Unwilling to pay, Srinivasan reported the matter to the DVAC. Following directions from DSP G Manikandan, the DVAC set up a trap at the Ponmalai zonal office. Sebastian was caught red-handed while collecting the bribe. Authorities also seized Rs 24,000 in unaccounted cash from him at the office. Further investigations are underway.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
American College principal suspended days before retirement amid corruption probe
Madurai: Just two days before his scheduled retirement, Dr M Davamani Christober, principal and secretary of The American College, Madurai, was suspended from service by the directorate of collegiate education, effective May 29. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The action follows allegations of amassing disproportionate assets, currently under investigation by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC), Tamil Nadu. The suspension order, signed by commissioner E Sundaravalli, was served on Friday morning by officials from the regional joint director's office. The timing of the suspension—just ahead of Dr Christober's official retirement on May 31—has stirred discussion within academic and civic circles. In the wake of his suspension, G Kannabiran, associate professor and head of the economics department, was appointed interim principal. To ensure administrative continuity, the college's governing council held an emergency meeting on Saturday, during which Dr J Paul Jayakar, head of the postgraduate and research department of English, was selected as the new principal. Dr Christober, who was appointed in Oct 2011, remained in office for over 12 years—far exceeding the standard three-year term. Sources within the institution allege that this extended tenure, combined with limited oversight, may have enabled financial irregularities now under scrutiny. In a related development, R Prabahar Vedamanickam, a retired associate professor of the college, filed a petition before the Madras high court in 2025, urging the higher education department and DVAC to initiate an inquiry against Dr Christober and his associates. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The petition cited allegations of financial mismanagement, misappropriation of funds, and disproportionate asset accumulation. During court proceedings, the state government informed that a preliminary inquiry was underway and that DVAC had already gathered documents and examined several witnesses. The court subsequently directed DVAC to expedite and complete the investigation without delay. MSID:: 121535255 413 |
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Time of India
Land surveyor arrested in Salem for accepting bribe
SALEM: A land surveyor has been arrested in Salem city for taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a man who approached him for a patta transfer. M Shankar, 45, who is employed at the Salem West tahsildar's office, demanded Rs 5,000 from S Kannan, 40, of Pudu Road for the patta transfer. Kannan, who was reluctant to pay the bribe, filed a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday. DVAC officers, under the direction of inspector Ravikumar, provided Kannan with chemical-coated currency notes. They caught Shankar red-handed while he accepted the bribe money from Kannan near Cholampallam bus stop. Shankar was remanded in judicial custody.
