COIMBAOTRE: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a fresh disproportionate assets case against former AIADMK minister for Municipal Administration SP Velumani accusing him of accumulating wealth to the tune of Rs 58.23 crore which comes to 3928 per cent of the total income.
The FIR was registered against Velumani, his brother Anbarasan and 11 others on competition of preliminary investigation carried out by DVAC Coimbatore Unit.
Case registered against 10 suspects - Velumani, P Anbarasan, his wife SA Hemalatha (Partners of P Senthil & Co, Shareholders of Sri Maha Ganapathi Jewellers Pvt Ltd), R Chandrasekar (Shareholder of
Constromall Goods Pvt Ltd and Aalam Gold and Diamonds Pvt Ltd), K Chandraprakash (Shareholder of Constromall Goods Pvt Ltd), Chandrasekar's mother R Krishnaveni (Shareholder of Constronics India), Chandraprakash's mother K Sundari (Shareholder of Vardhan Infraa Structure), Chandrapraksh’s cousins H Karthick, J Vishnuvardhan (Shareholders of Constronics India), S Saravanakumar ( brother-in-law of Chandrasekar and a shareholder of Vardhan Infraa Structure).
The three of their firms - Sri Maha Ganapathi Jewellers Pvt. Ltd, Constromall Goods Pvt Ltd, Aalam Gold and Diamonds Pvt Ltd, were also brought in the case.
R Ezhilarasi, an inspector of DVAC (Coimbatore unit) filed a case on Monday which is booked under sections including 120B, 109 of IPC and sections 13(2), 13 (1)(e),13(1)(b),12 of Prevention of Corruptions Act, 1988.
DVAC Coimbatore unit has registered the case on Monday and on Tuesday begin the search at 58 locations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
This includes 41 in Coimbatore (residences of SP Velumani at Sugunapuram and a few AIADMK MLA's and suspects), 8 places in Chennai, 4 in Salem, two in Tirupathur, 1 each in Namakkal, Krishnagiri and Kerala. On hearing it, AIADMK cadres gathered in front of the Velumani's house.
During the period of being a minister between May 23, 2016, and May 6, 2021, it was alleged Velumani was involved in corrupt activities and intentionally enriched himself and acquired properties and pecuniary resources in his name and in the names of his family members, relatives, close associates and others, which are disproportionate to his known sources of income.
He was accused of indulging in conducting his illicit activities through his relatives and close aids through the firms Sri Maha Ganapathi Jewellers Pvt Ltd, P Senthil & Co, Constromall Goods Pvt Ltd, Constonics India, Vardhan Infraa Structure, Aalam Gold and Diamonds Pvt Ltd.
While being a public servant and abusing his official position, Velumani had allowed Chandrasekar, who acted like a PA to him, to dictate and direct the officials of Municipal Corporation for awarding injudicious tenders and thereby Velumani was running syndicate.
Chandrasekar and Chandraprakash received several injudicious work orders for the tenders during the official tenure of Velumani as a minister, DVAC said in its FIR.
It also reads, Velumani with Anbarasan, Chandrasekar, Chandraprakasha nd other suspects allegedly indulged in a criminal conspiracy for the purpose of cheating and committing criminal misappropriation of public money amounting to several crores of rupees of the state government.
Velumani along with the suspects hatched a criminal conspiracy to convert and account for their ill-gotten wealth. "He had allegedly converted the ill-gotten wealth as unsecured loans worth Rs 46.77 crore to the firms held by the suspects," the FIR said.
Most of the illicit activities took place between April 27, 2016 and March 15, 2021, when Velumani had no likely savings and the expenditure is over and above the income earned to the tune of Rs 33,70,016.
"However he had enriched himself and associates illicitly during the period to the tune of Rs 58,23,97,052 which is disproportionate to the known sources of income and it comes to 3928 per cent of the total income," said in the FIR.
Also he illicitly acquired and was in possession of immovable and movable assets in his name and in the names of his family members, associates and others during the period he was in ministry. It is suspected that he along with associates invested the disproportionate assets in the properties in and around Tamil Nadu.
Velumani travelled to Singapore three times in 2019 and stayed 14 days. Also, he made visits to Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, UK and Maldives during his tenure as a minister and spend 32 days.
His family members made similar visits to foreign countries and spent 130 days. It is suspected they might have visited foreign countries for their investments, according to the FIR.
While describing the other's activities, the FIR said, the sales volume of Sri Maha Ganapathi Jewellers Pvt, Ltd where Anbarasan and Hemalatha hold 99 per cent of shares, was shown as Rs 292 crore (between 2016-2021).
But it does not commensurate with the physical, legal and actual business activity there and allegedly the firm was used to convert and account for ill-gotten wealth and false purchases and income were shown for more than Rs 63 crore and in the name of the firm. Also, they purchased several properties worth Rs 10 crore around Tamil Nadu on behalf of Velumani.
P Senthil & Co where the duo (Anabarasan and Hemalatha) have a partnership, had reported outward supply for Rs 54.50 crore between 2017- 2021.
But they failed to generate E waybills for taxable supplies, thus it was alleged the firm had raised fake invoices without movement of goods. The KCP Infra Ltd has a fixed deposit of Rs 110 crore and it is suspected that it might have been diverted from other firms illicitly.
It is the second search against Velumani after the DVAC in August last year making seizures to the tune of Rs 13.8 lakhs raiding 60 locations.