The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday conducted searches at 25 locations across Tamil Nadu linked to former minister and DMK leader K N Nehru in connection with an alleged Rs 634-crore cash-for-jobs scam in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department.
The searches follow the registration of a case against Nehru and others on the directions of the Madras High Court, which ordered a full-fledged probe into the alleged irregularities based on materials shared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The ED had flagged the alleged irregularities to the state police in October 2025.
The investigation centres on allegations that bribes were collected from candidates in exchange for government jobs in the MAWS department during Nehru's tenure as minister.
DVAC officials are examining documents, financial records and other materials at the locations to trace the suspected money trail and gather evidence related to the recruitment process.
The searches come a day after Nehru moved the Supreme Court, filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Madras High Court's October 26 order dismissing his review petition against the registration of the FIR.
Reacting strongly to the raids, DMK president M K Stalin termed the action as "Vettri Vendetta Politics" orchestrated by the TVK government.
In a lengthy post on X, Stalin accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of staging a "raidshow" to divert public and media attention from the state's deteriorating law and order, which he claimed has left women, children, and the elderly unsafe.
Stalin dubbed the ruling party the "TN Branch Washing Machine" that absorbs corrupt individuals while exclusively targeting former DMK ministers.
He alleged the searches were conducted to generate "reels videos" for the upcoming Trichy East by-election and to give the Chief Minister a platform to deliver "punch dialogues" on stage.
"Even the toenail of a grassroots DMK cadre will not fear these raids," Stalin said.
Hitting out at the TVK regime for its "rusted administration" and severe price rises, the DMK chief said the entire country was laughing at the state government.
(With inputs from PTI)