DVAC raids IAS officer’s house in corruption case

Sleuths from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday conducted a search operation at the residence of former Dharmapuri collector Malarvizhi at Virugambakkam in the city. It is in connection with an FIR lodged against her for alleged corruption during her stint at Dharmapuri collector between February 28, 2018 and October 29, 2020.   
The officials have been conducting search operations at ten places across the state. Of which, five places are in Chennai, three places are in Pudukkottai and a place each in Villupuram and Dharmapuri districts.
In addition to the IAS officer’s house, the officials have also raided the houses of businessmen Veeraiya Palanivel and Tahir Hussein. Based on a complaint that the IAS officer had misappropriated Rs 1.31 crore while purchasing tax collection receipt books, the DVAC has filed an FIR against three people including Malarvizhi and the businessmen.
 

Palanivel is a government contractor from Pudukkottai district and has been an AIADMK cadre. He has been working in favour of former municipal administration minister SP Velumani. He had bagged contracts in the rural development department and at block development offices. 
He had supplied bleaching powder and disinfectants to the BDO offices in ten blocks in Dharmapuri district in 2018-19. 
 

Alleging malpractices in the procurement of disinfectant, DVAC had filed an FIR against ten people including the then district collector, union heads and contractors. Officials had divided themselves into three teams and raided three places belonging to the contractor since early morning. 
In 2021, DVAC raided the house belonging to his brother Muruganantham and seized several important documents.