K.N. Nehru under DVAC scanner: How a legal battle unfolded behind the raids

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption’s (DVAC) searches at 25 locations linked to senior DMK leader K.N. Nehru on Thursday mark a crucial stage in a corruption investigation that has travelled from an Enforcement Directorate (ED) communication to the Madras High Court and now the Supreme Court.

The case concerns allegations that ₹634 crore was collected as bribes for 2,538 appointments in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department during Nehru’s tenure as minister. The allegations have not been proven yet.

The case and the timeline

October 2025: The ED flagged alleged irregularities in recruitment to the MAWS Department and forwarded material to the Tamil Nadu authorities. AIADMK MP I.S. Inbadurai subsequently approached the Madras High Court seeking a direction to register a criminal case.

February 20, 2026: The Madras High Court directed the state police to register an FIR forthwith, acting on Inbadurai’s petition.

The order set the criminal investigation in motion. Nehru and his brothers challenged the direction, arguing, among other things, that they had not been given an opportunity to be heard before the order was passed. The then-DMK government also sought a review.

Between February and June 2026: With the FIR not registered immediately, Inbadurai initiated contempt proceedings against the officer heading the DVAC. The litigation over the court’s direction and the registration of the case became a central procedural issue.

June 5, 2026: After the change of government in the state, the DVAC registered the FIR. The state subsequently sought to withdraw its review petition, while Nehru continued to contest the original direction.

October 26, 2026: A division bench of Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan dismissed Nehru’s review petition. It also permitted the state to withdraw its review petition and closed the contempt proceedings. The court’s decision cleared a significant procedural hurdle for the investigation.

October 28-29, 2026: Nehru moved the Supreme Court by filing a special leave petition challenging the High Court’s October 26 order, on October 28. The following day, on Thursday, the DVAC conducted searches at 25 locations linked to him and others, examining documents, financial records and other material.

A second investigation

The recruitment case is separate from the investigation into alleged irregularities in municipal contracts worth ₹1,020 crore. This case had actually led to DVAC searches at multiple locations in September.

The two investigations concern different alleged offences and must be assessed independently.

The political fallout

DMK president M.K. Stalin has accused Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s TVK government of political vendetta, alleging that the searches were intended to generate publicity ahead of the Tiruchirappalli East by-election.

The government’s challenge is to demonstrate that its investigation follows evidence and due process. For the DMK, the legal battle is now accompanied by a political challenge of defending a senior leader while addressing allegations involving public recruitment and contracts.

The next decisive developments will be the Supreme Court proceedings and the evidence gathered by the DVAC. The raids are an investigative step, not the discovery of guilt. The outcome will depend on the evidence and its assessment by the courts.