In the wake of an investigative report which appeared on THE WEEK about the disproportionate assets amassed by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and his family members, Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO, has filed a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) demanding an investigation against the deputy CM.
THE WEEK had revealed that the sons of Panneerselvam, O.P. Raveendranath Kumar and V.P. Jayapradeep, made substantial investments in various companies—Vani Fabrics Pvt Ltd (Rs 12 crore), Vani Spinners Pvt Ltd (Rs 15 crore) and Vani Textiles Pvt Ltd (Rs 8 crore). As per registrar of companies (RoC) documents, the sons hold 16.67 per cent each of Vani Fabrics.
While probing the story behind OPS’s assets, THE WEEK received what are reportedly pages of the infamous ‘Sekar Reddy diary’. J. Sekar Reddy, sand mining baron and industrialist, was a partner of SRS Mining Company. He was arrested on December 8, 2016, after the CBI seized Rs 33.6 crore in 2,000-rupee notes. Reddy is said to have made regular payments to bureaucrats and politicians, including Panneerselvam and recorded them in the diary.
The NGO demanded action against the deputy CM, claiming that he has accumulated wealth in the names of his wife, daughter and sons. The complainant also filed a copy of the report which appeared on THE WEEK.
In the detailed complaint, filed before the DVAC, the NGO cited how the assets of his sons grew in a very short span of time.
The NGO alleged that A. Subburaj, a close associate of OPS is his benami. THE WEEK had reported how Subburaj bought land from Vijayalakshmi, OPS’s wife and later gifted it to the panchayat.
