MADURAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in Madurai has booked a case against a former deputy tahsildar on charges of accepting bribe for allegedly delaying a public auction process. The accused person has been identified as R Dhanapandi (46), former deputy tahsildar of election cell of Madurai North taluk of the district collectorate, who is currently under suspension. She has been booked under various sections of the Provisions of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.
According to the police, the incident pertaining to the case took place when Dhanapandi was serving in the collectorate between February 2021 and August 2022. The complainant, Elango, had constructed a corporate office in SS Colony and a dairy division office in Dindigul district for Joseph Jeyaraj, managing director of Blessings Agro Farms India Limited. After failing to pay the full amount for the constructions, Joseph registered a house in Loordhu Nagar in K Pudurm, worth Rs 45 lakh, in Elango's name in November 2018, against the payment debt of Rs 1.35 crore.
Amid this juncture, one Balasubramaniyan and three others, who had deposited money in Joseph's Blessing Agro Farms, filed a suit in a special court in Madurai, under the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, alleging that they were cheated by the firm, and sought to attach Joseph's properties to obtain compensation.
Hearing the arguments, the court in March 2021 directed the DRO (Madurai) to take action for forgery. Accordingly, the DRO took action to attach Joseph's assets, including those that were purchased by Elango and one Palanichamy, conduct public auction and issue compensation to the investors. It may be noted that Palanichamy, a flower wholesale vendor, had earlier bought 1.63 acres of land in Bodinaykanpatti of Vadipatti taluk from Joseph.
The accused of the DVAC case, Dhanapandi, who was then head assistant, handled the file regarding the auction of Joseph's properties. During the tenure, she allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 1.65 lakh for her as well as for then DRO to delay the auction of properties in Loordhu Nagar Main Road and the land owned by Palanichamy in Vadipatti. The DVAC, who obtained prior approval from authorities concerned, has registered an FIR in this regard, sources added.