CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the state home secretary, DGP and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file reply to a Madurai resident’s petition seeking directions to the DGP to register FIR on the ED’s communication over the cash-for-jobs scam in the Municipal Administration and Water Supplies (MAWS) department. The first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan asked the respondents to submit the reply by January 23, 2026.
Athinarayanan, president of Maruthu Senai Society, in his petition that was transferred to the principal seat from the Madurai bench, said a recent 232-page communication dated October 27, 2025 sent to the DGP by the ED as per section 66 (2) of the PMLA revealed large scale corruption, manipulation and abuse of official position in the selection of 2, 538 officers and staff for MAWS department including assistant engineers, junior engineers, town planning officers and sanitary inspectors during 2024-25 and 2025-26.
He said it was reported that bribes ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh per post were collected and such revelations of corruption are disheartening and erode the public trust and confidence in constitutional governance and undermine the integrity of the recruitment process.
He alleged the DGP has not taken steps to register an FIR despite receiving credible evidence and reports from the ED which is empowered to investigate money laundering only based on FIRs registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Stating that he sent a representation to the respondent authorities on November 11, 2025 urging necessary action to register an FIR on the alleged scam, Athinarayanan said the representation has been kept in cold storage. He prayed for the court to issue a direction to register the FIR.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned the petition filed by the ED seeking a direction to the DGP for registering an FIR regarding the illegal sand mining to January 23.