Tamil Nadu Minister Denies Corruption Allegations In Lawyers' Appointment

Tamil Nadu Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar on Tuesday strongly denied allegations of corruption in the appointment of government pleaders and public prosecutors, asserting that the process was being carried out transparently and warning of strict action if any specific complaints of bribery were received.

His remarks come amid allegations on social media that government law officer posts were being sold for money and a petition before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court alleging that appointments were being influenced by political considerations.

The High Court has already directed the Tamil Nadu government to file a status report on the plea.

The controversy also comes against the backdrop of delays in appointing government law officers, which have affected trials and court proceedings across Tamil Nadu. Yesterday, a court in Coimbatore imposed a fine of Rs 62,000 on the state government, directing the District Collector to pay the amount, citing the absence of goverment lawyer in a few important cases.

Responding to the allegations, the Minister said government orders for the appointments had begun to be issued from Tuesday evening onwards and insisted there had been no compromise in the selection process.

"If anyone has specific complaints of cash-for-jobs or bribery in these appointments, the government will take 100 per cent strict action," he said, adding that complaints could be submitted to the respective District Collectors for inquiry.

Nirmal Kumar claimed that this was the first time in 45 years that government law officers were being appointed through a transparent process. He also said police verification was being carried out for the appointment of public prosecutors for the first time.

The minister clarified that the appointments were temporary for six months and would be regularised only on the basis of performance, rejecting suggestions that the posts had been permanently allotted. "Our objective is to ensure people get justice and to clear the backlog of cases," he said, adding that performance would remain the key criterion for continuation in office.

The appointments have attracted attention after allegations surfaced online claiming that aspiring candidates had paid large sums to secure posts. While those claims remain unverified, the issue has now reached the High Court, with the state government expected to place its response before the Madurai Bench through a status report.

The Minister maintained that the government was committed to transparency and accountability and reiterated that any credible evidence of corruption in the appointments would invite immediate action.