Turning on the heat on Tamil Nadu's Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister KN Nehru, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a fresh dossier to the state government alleging large-scale bribery for the transfer of government officers and instances of money laundering involving the minister's associates.
The 99-page report, accessed by NDTV, claimed there is evidence to suggest that bribes ranging from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 1 crore were paid for the transfer of at least ten officials, including assistant engineers, executive officers and municipal engineers.
The dossier further alleged that money was paid in as many as 340 transfers, with the funds allegedly collected by a private individual said to be close to the minister.
According to the ED, the report also detailed suspected investments worth Rs 365.87 crore linked to money laundering activities. Investigators claim to have found evidence of the purchase of a 34-acre property in the United States, apart from indications of a lavish lifestyle in India.
As part of its evidence, the ED has attached 102 photographs, WhatsApp chats, alleged bribe collection confirmations and names of officers. The agency said these materials were recovered during the screening of electronic devices seized during searches connected to a bank fraud case, which was later closed.
The central agency has urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police in charge, and the head of the vigilance wing to register a First Information Report (FIR) based on the findings.
This is the latest in a series of dossiers submitted by the ED. In an earlier report, the agency had alleged a "cash-for-jobs" scam involving bribes of Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh.
In another dossier, it claimed that contractors were made to pay bribes amounting to 7.5 to 10 per cent of project values for civic works such as toilet construction, infrastructure projects and outsourcing services.
Investigators alleged that tenders were manipulated even before being opened, with contracts steered towards pre-selected companies, and that bribes were routed through cash and hawala channels.
Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has also ordered a preliminary investigation into the allegations in the two previous dossiers. However, no case has been filed yet.
KN Nehru had denied the earlier allegations, stating that he would challenge them legally. He has not yet responded to the latest claims.
Opposition parties too have questioned the credibility of the Enforcement Directorate, alleging that it has been misused as a political tool to target opposition leaders. They have also cited past observations by the Supreme Court criticising the misuse of the ED, including references to investigations linked to electoral bonds that later became controversial.
