CHENNAI/THANJAVUR: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has lodged another graft case against former AIADMK minister R Vaithilingam and arraigned his elder son V Prabu as the co-accused.
The anti-corruption agency’s Thanjavur unit on September 19 filed the disproportionate assets case. Vaithilingam and his son’s assets disproportionately grew by 1,057.85% from May 2011 to April 2016 when he was the minister for housing and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) under the AIADMK government, the agency said.
Based on a G.O. issued in July 2022, the unit conducted a detailed inquiry about the assets he acquired between 2011 and 2016 while in office as a minister.
DVAC also pressed corruption charges against Vaithilingam the same day over the alleged transfer of Rs 27.9 crore by private firm Shriram properties into the account of Muthammal estates, a shell company floated by his sons in lieu of a CMDA planning permit for the company.
Substantiating the investigation, the agency said the ex-minister’s assets registered in the names of his wife, elder son and himself in the form of house sites, agricultural land, gold jewellery, motor vehicles, fixed deposits and bank balance at the start of the check period of May 16, 2011 was Rs 36.58 lakh only.
However, by March 31, 2016, these assets rose to Rs 34.28 crore, it said. The income derived by Vaithilingam, his wife and son was Rs 3.06 crore, while the expenses were Rs 1.62 crore. Assets acquired were worth Rs 32.92 crore during the period and likely savings were Rs 1.44 crore.
Based on this, the agency calculated the quantum of disproportionate assets to be Rs 32.47 crore and registered a corruption case against the duo.
The information collected during investigation disclosed prima facie that he abused his official position as a minister to obtain ill-gotten money through Muthammal Estates Private Limited owned by his elder son V Prabhu. The latter used the ill-gotten money to purchase various parcels of land and assets in the name of his company.