MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to file ‘action taken report’ on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought direction to the state to act upon the letter sent by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 27, 2025, to investigate into the alleged cash-for-job scam in the appointment of over 2,500 officers and staff in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department between 2024-2026.
Citing that a similar matter is pending before the Principal Seat, a bench of justices Anita Sumanth and C Kumarappan directed the Registry to place the PIL before the Chief Justice to be heard along with the other case.
The litigant K Athinarayanan, president of Maruthu Senai Society in Madurai, alleged that the ED unearthed the scam during a raid conducted in the properties of KN Ravichandran, brother of MAWS minister KN Nehru in connection with a bank fraud case. The total value of bribes is estimated to be around Rs 634 crore, he added.
Though the ED wrote to the state government requesting registration of FIR and to furnish a copy of the FIR to it for initiating money laundering proceedings, the latter failed to do so, Athinarayanan claimed.
Citing media interviews of alleged statements of the Director General of Police that such registration can only be effected after obtaining sanction from the state government and that the state police is still awaiting sanction, Athinarayanan said the prolonged delay may create an impression that the government is shielding public servants from accountability, thereby eroding public confidence in the government and law enforcement agencies.