DVAC begins inquiry against ex-AIADMK minister

Salem: More than a year after the Salem city crime branch police registered a job scam case against the former AIADMK minister N Subramanian and his daughter Lavanya, the case has now been transferred to the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption for probe. Subramanian was Adi Dravidar welfare minister in the AIADMK govt between 2011 and 2016.
In August 2023, the Salem police registered the case on a complaint from K Munusamy of Johnsonpet near Hasthampatty in Salem, alleging that he had received a total of 65 lakh from 20 individuals, promising to get them jobs as cooks in noon-meal centres.
Munusamy's complaint said he paid 65 lakh to the minister in four separate payments -- 15 lakh on Oct 28, 2015, 20 lakh on Nov 5, 2015, 15 lakh on Nov 9, 2015, and 15 lakh on Nov 17, 2015.
As Subramanian was not given a party ticket for the 2016 assembly elections, Munusamy demanded the money back. In 2017, he said, he was given a refund of 23.5 lakh, but no further payments were made thereafter.
As his repeated requests did not yield any result, Munusamy lodged a complaint against Subramanian and his daughter Lavanya with the Salem City Crime Branch. As there was no progress in the case registered in Aug 2023, Munusamy reported the incident to the Salem city police.
The city commissioner of police then recommended to the DGP to transfer the case to the DVAC for further investigation. Following this recommendation, the DGP has recently transferred the case to DVAC. "We have initiated a case under section 318 (cheating) of the BNS Act of 2023, read with sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988, and have commenced an inquiry," an official stated.