CHENNAI: The State government has ordered an enquiry by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption against A K Viswanathan, former additional commissioner of police in Chennai, for alleged possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of income.
A three-member panel comprising K S Sripathy, Chief Secretary, Thangam Sankara Narayanan, Vigilance Commissioner and Commissioner for Administrative Reforms and S Malathi, Home Secretary, took the decision to order an enquiry against Viswanathan, sources said. Viswanathan, one of the police officers at the centre of lawyer-police fracas in Chennai on February 19, was transferred as resident commissioner to New Delhi in June after High Court called for his suspension.
The DVAC enquiry comes in the backdrop of a Express report that a proposal to anoint Viswanathan as additional secretary in the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers has been shot down by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
One of the matters that came up during consideration of the proposal was the acquisition of land by people known to Viswanathan in and around Madurai which incidentally is where the Chemicals Minister M K Azhagiri has announced several high profile projects.
When contacted by Express, Viswanathan slammed media reports and said, “at the end, truth will prevail.” He refused to comment further.
The enquiry was ordered after a complaint was filed by Pugalenthi, secretary of Tamil Nadu’s People’s Rights Forum, with the chief secretary for registration of possession of disproportionate assets between January, 1, 2004 and July 31, 2009. When contacted Pugalenthi confirmed about his complaint and ordering of enquiry and said that he would cooperate with the investigating agency as and when required.
DVAC enquiry against Viswanathan assumes significance in the wake of his filing an affidavit blaming former Chennai police commissioner K Radhakrishnan for the High Court violence on February 19.
Significantly Viswanathan is yet to be given a posting after his return from Delhi.
