Two Chargesheets against former Minister SP Velumani filed. TN Government delaying prosecution sanction for 1 year For the first time, it has come to light that 2 chargesheets against former local administration minister SP Velumani and others in the Chennai Coimbatore Corporation scam has been filed in the special court and that the Tamilnadu Government has been delaying the sanction for prosecution for more than 1 year. This has come to light through the recent order by special court for DVAC in Crl MP No 884 of 2023 in Crime No.16/AC/2021/HQ dated 09th January 2025 attached along with this. Arappor Iyakkam filed a complaint in September 2021 seeking investigation into the Chennai Coimbatore Corporation tender corruption running into hundreds of crores against former local administration minister SP Velumani and others. After 3 long years, FIR was filed on 09/08/2021 through Crime No 16 of 2021 by Directorate of Vigilance and AntiCorruption. Thereafter, Thiru SP Velumani’s name alone was removed from the FIR after the former minister moved the High Court for quash. However, in the order the High Court had observed that Arappor Iyakkam had diligently submitted lot of materials, that there is prima facie material in the FIR and that the FIR cannot be quashed. The High Court allowed the DVAC to continue its investigation against all and also exclusively mentioned that if the role of the former Minister SP Velumani was uncovered in the investigation then the DVAC is free to add his name in the Chargesheet. Thereafter in 2023, other accused such as Contronics Infra Ltd, Aalam Gold and Diamonds Pvt Ltd and 4 others moved the High court for quashing their names in the FIR. DVAC then had told the court that the chargesheet is ready. Arappor Iyakkam had also made detailed submissions of the role of all the accused. The Madras High Court in its order dated 02/08/2023 refused to quash the FIR and directed the DVAC to file the chargesheet within 6 weeks after getting prosecution sanction. However, DVAC did not file the chargesheet even after 25 weeks. Therefore, Arappor Iyakkam moved a contempt petition in the High Court through Contempt petition number 788 of 2024. DVAC told the High court that they have filed the final report before the special court and presented 2 CNR numbers. In the order dated 05/04/2024, the High Court directed the special court to act upon the final report within 2 weeks from date of receipt of the order. However, until date, the chargesheet filing has not been completed. More than 10 months has elapsed. Meanwhile an order by the DVAC special court in Crl MP No 884 of 2023 in Crime No 16/AC/2021/HQ has thrown light on the status of the chargesheet. DVAC had filed this case seeking extension of the frozen amounts of Chandrasekhar and Chandraprakash of KCP Engineers who are accused in the said case. The court while allowing the extension has observed that 2 chargesheets against former Minister SP Velumani and 8 other Government servants has been filed in the special court and that DVAC is awaiting prosecution sanction in the said case from the departments of TamilNadu Government. For the first time, we have come to know that the name of the former Minister Thiru SP Velumani is there in the Chargesheet through this court order. Secondly, it is now clear that the DVAC has been waiting for almost an year for prosecution sanction from the TN Government against former Minister SP Velumani and 8 other public servants. It raises a very important question of why the TamilNadu Government is delaying the prosecution sanction by almost a year? Why is the DMK Government protecting the corruption of the AIADMK Government by delaying the prosecution sanction? The Chief Minister and his Government is accountable for the huge delay. The Government must transparently inform us of the people in the Government who are delaying the prosecution sanction. The TN Government must immediately accord prosecution sanction. Already there has been a huge delay in the filing of the Chargesheets. If the TN Government continues to delay, Arappor Iyakkam will be forced to again move a contempt against the contempt order of the High Court. M. K. Stalin