CHENNAI: DMK has moved the Madras High Court to order DVAC to register an FIR based on its complaint and hold a thorough probe into the alleged misappropriation of Rs 50 crore in purchasing books for the Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore. DMK joint secretary (legal wing) I Paranthamen has filed the petition in court.
He alleged that Agalvilakku Publications and Phoenix Publications have reportedly supplied a large number of books that appear to have been generated using AI tools, rather than written by genuine authors.
The ISBNs do not appear to have been obtained title-wise but in bulk blocks. As many as 162 books were published in the name of a single author Monica Ravi in a span of six months; Lakshmi Mohan - 124, Thamarai Panneer - 123, Thamarai Murali -115 and Jothi Hariharan - 114 books, he stated.
Paranthamen said that he submitted a complaint to DVAC on November 7, disclosing commission of cognisable offences – criminal misconduct and criminal breach of trust by public servants, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy – but no action has been taken so far.
He noted that the administrative inquiry announced by the state government cannot be a substitute for criminal investigation because the departmental and criminal proceedings operate in distinct fields.
The records of procurement of books are in the custody of the very department whose officials’ conduct is in question. The circulation of fabricated purchase orders on social media shows a real danger of tampering; the delay in registration of the FIR would result in loss of evidence and defeat the cause of justice, he said.