CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has arrested a Chennai police inspector K. Rajalakshmi, who is attached to the Anti-Vice Squad of the Greater Chennai Police, for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to her known sources of income, in one of the significant corruption cases registered against a serving police officer in the city in recent times.
According to the case registered by the DVAC, the inspector is accused of accumulating movable and immovable assets vastly exceeding her lawful earnings during a check period spanning several years of service. The investigation found that while her official income during the period was limited to her salary and other permissible sources, the total value of properties and assets acquired in her name and in the names of her family members was several times higher, estimated to be over 370%, than what could be justified.
Vigilance officials have alleged that the assets include real estate, financial investments and other valuables, some of which were purchased or registered during postings in sensitive enforcement units. A detailed financial analysis carried out by the DVAC indicated that her expenditure and acquisitions far outstripped her declared income, leading investigators to conclude that the excess wealth was disproportionate and unexplained under the law.
Based on these findings, a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deal with a public servant being in possession of assets beyond known sources of income. The FIR was registered after obtaining the necessary sanction for prosecution, and the case papers have been forwarded to the jurisdictional court in Chennai.
The DVAC has stated that further investigation is under way to trace the flow of funds, verify the sources used for acquiring the assets and examine the role, if any, of close associates or family members. Searches, scrutiny of bank records and valuation of properties are expected to form part of the next phase of the probe.
The case has once again brought focus on corruption within the police force and the state’s ongoing efforts to strengthen vigilance and accountability mechanisms. Officials said the action reflects a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption in public service, irrespective of rank, and reiterated that the outcome of the case will depend on the evidence established during trial.