CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday searched the house of former town planning inspector of Kanchipuram municipality S Shyamalatha (47) and her husband K Sekar (55), a line inspector with Tangedco, after registering a disproportionate assets case against them.
According to DVAC’s case, the couple had amassed assets to the tune of Rs 73.94 lakh, disproportionate to their known sources of income, from April 2017 to 2021 which is 69% more than their income.
DVAC’s case is that the couple purchased a vacant plot of 1,059 square feet in front of their existing house in Kanchipuram district in 2012 on which they constructed a luxurious two-storey building with parking in 2019-20, which falls in the agency’s check period.
Sources said the duo spent around Rs 40 lakh on this. In addition, they also bought a vacant plot measuring 2,349 square feet in the district in 2006, on which another luxurious building with three floors with seven portions was constructed in the 2018-20 period. DVAC estimates that the accused spent around Rs 94.8 lakh on this.
Sekar had availed a housing loan of Rs 56 lakh from a housing finance institution for construction of the house and has been paying a monthly loan amount of Rs 76,116.
DVAC’s contention is that the couple would not have been able to construct two luxurious houses out of their income and also spend on educational expenses for their two children. Based on this, they carried out an analysis of their income and expenses during the check period and arrived at the disproportionate assets figure.
Shyamalatha is currently posted at the Thiruvathipuram municipality in Tiruvannamalai district.