Vijay government’s first big corruption crackdown sees DVAC book former DMK minister E.V. Velu

In its first high profile crackdown since the TVK government led by chief minister C. Joseph Vijay came to power, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) launched simultaneous searches on the premises of former State Highways Minister E.V. Velu, officials linked to the former minister and the highways department, and several other contractors in connection with an alleged graft case.

The raids, represent far more than a routine anti-graft exercise, rather a calculated opening gambit by the fledgling TVK government. By targeting Velu—a titan of the DMK hierarchy—Vijay seems to have signalled an aggressive end to the long-standing détente that traditionally allowed Tamil Nadu’s political dynasties to rotate power without genuine consequence. This operation is looked at as a deliberate move to delegitimise the moral and financial standing of the previous administration within the first chapter of the TVK’s tenure.

The DVAC began its searches on Thursday in over a dozen locations linked to Velu and Shankar, known to be the assistant of former Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji. The raids come at a time when Vijay vowed in the assembly, saying that his government will not take even a single paisa as bribe and will not spare anyone who has taken bribe. The DVAC booked Velu and several other officials in the highways department based on a 2022 complaint lodged by Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO fighting corruption in Tamil Nadu. The former minister and others have been booked by the vigilance agency under various charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery, and cheating under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The FIR was registered against Velu and others after the state government accorded permission on June 23, 2026.

According to the FIR, a copy of which has been accessed by The Week, the proceedings under FIR Crime No. 3/2026, registered by the Special Investigation Cell, reveal a sophisticated prosecutorial strategy. The inclusion of "criminal conspiracy" and "forgery" alongside the Prevention of Corruption Act elevates this beyond simple administrative negligence. By alleging conspiracy, the state is attempting to bridge the gap between ministerial level intent and the technical fraud executed by ground-level engineers, suggesting a top-down mandate for corruption.

As per the FIR, several crores of rupees were paid to contractors in various divisions of the state highways department in March 2022 for works that were not executed by the department. However after Arappor Iyakkam lodged the complaint, the department officials along with the minister in collusion with a set of highways contractors laid the roads in a hurried manner. The complaint filed by Arappor Iyakkam also alleges that there was rampant corruption and mismanagement of funds allocated under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP).

Allegedly the PWD and highways departments, which were handled by Velu during the DMK regime, have served as the primary financial engines for the then rulers. By focusing on these cash cows, the TVK seems to be aiming directly at the DMK’s logistical infrastructure. Investigations, according to sources reveal that while a contract for road works in Karur was awarded for approximately ₹7 crore in March 2022, payments totalling ₹3.23 crore were released on March 25 and 28, 2022—only days after the contract was signed—for works that were allegedly incomplete. Apart from this an additional Rs. 1.5 crore authorised for two road projects funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in Karur, for which the works were never executed at all.

Incidentally, the appointment of ADGP A. Arun to lead the DVAC is a coup of optics by Chief Minister Vijay. Arun, the former Chennai Police Commissioner once perceived as being close to the DMK, is now the instrument of their dismantling. By using an officer with such high credentials, the TVK administration effectively neutralises the political vendetta narrative; it is difficult for the DMK to cry foul when the investigation is spearheaded by an officer who once operated within their own inner circles of power.

However, in the Velu case, the DVAC, according to sources is currently focused on evidence chain to take the case to a logical conclusion. On the other side, the political calculations indicate the raids on Velu signal a definitive rupture in the traditional political fabric of Tamil Nadu. The TVK has moved beyond campaign rhetoric to actively dismantle the financial and social capital of its predecessors. This is a high-risk strategy; while it establishes CM Vijay’s reformist credentials, it also sets a precedent that will eventually be applied to his own administration.