170 documents 13 electronic gadgets seized in raids against ex-minister K N Nehru in MAWS scam

    Chennai/Tiruchirappalli, Oct 29 (PTI) The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday "seized 170 incriminating documents and 13 electronic gadgets" during extensive searches at 25 locations across Tamil Nadu linked to former minister and DMK leader K N Nehru and others in connection with an alleged multi-crore cash-for-jobs recruitment scam.

    According to an official release issued by the DVAC headquarters, a case has been registered against Nehru, former minister for the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department, and seven others based on a complaint forwarded by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

    The agency alleged large-scale corruption and malpractices in the recruitment of 2,538 candidates across various branches of the MAWS department during 2024-25.

    Bribes were allegedly collected from ineligible candidates to appoint them to posts including Assistant Engineer (AE), Junior Engineer (JE), Sanitary Inspector, and Draughtsman. The illicit funds were subsequently routed through hawala channels, the DVAC release said.

    The searches were carried out across 25 locations, including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, Namakkal, and Tirunelveli.

    Earlier, speaking to reporters in Tiruchirappalli, Nehru confirmed the search operations, stating that officials had seized two laptops and certain documents from his premises, while maintaining that officers did not question him extensively.

    "They didn't ask me anything. They came and searched every place. They checked the entire premises. They wrote down what items were taken," Nehru said, expressing confidence in the legal process and asserting that the DMK would fight the case in court, drawing parallels to land-grabbing cases filed during the AIADMK regime.

    The raids followed the registration of the case after the Madras High Court vacated a stay on the probe, acting on material provided by the ED, which had flagged the irregularities in late 2025. Nehru clarified that a review petition filed by the DMK was dismissed by the High Court and that an appeal is currently pending before the Supreme Court.

    DVAC also carried out searches at the residence of former DMK MLA Ramalingam and six associated premises during the coordinated operation.

    Earlier in the day, addressing reporters in Chennai, Minister R Nirmal Kumar alleged that candidates were charged between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh each and claimed that the recruitment was deliberately routed through Anna University rather than the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC).

    The action drew sharp criticism from DMK president M K Stalin, who termed the searches "Vettri Vendetta Politics" orchestrated by the TVK government to divert public attention from law-and-order issues ahead of the upcoming Trichy East by-election.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)