Explain action against internal corruption, court tells DVAC

Explain action against internal corruption, court tells DVAC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.04.2021

The Madras high court has directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to explain as to whether the agency is functioning independently without political influences.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy also wanted the DVAC to report action taken by it in the past three years against corrupt officials of the agency.

The court issued the directions on a public interest writ petition moved by Karuppu Ezhuthu Kazhagam seeking to quash a government order dated July 5, 2020 transferring various officials.

Counsel for the petitioner P Vijendran claimed that corruption was rampant in the registration department and alleged that highly corrupt officials in the department were being allowed to peacefully retire from service and go scotfree, while those facing comparatively less serious charges were being subjected serious punishment.

Pointing out a particular case of district registrar K Gopalakrishnan, who was transferred from Chennai to Tuticorin after a DVAC raid in March 2019, the petitioner said, the officer did not join service at the transferred location.

However, he was transferred back to Chengalpattu within four months, he added.

Further, stating that the official’s name had been included in a general list of transfer of various other officers in July 2020, the petitioner urged the court to quash the entire GO and consequently direct the state government to effect the transfers in a transparent manner.