CHENNAI: In its 232-page dossier sent to the Tamil Nadu police chief, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has explained in detail the alleged role played by Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Minister KN Nehru, his brothers KN Manivanan and Ravichandran, and close associates D Ramesh, T Selvamani and Kavi Prasad in the alleged cash-for-job scam in the appointment of 2,538 officers and staff in the MAWS department.
The dossier was sent along with a four-page covering letter on October 27 under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) requesting the TN police to initiate an investigation. ED sources said that they have shared evidence regarding rigging of the selection process for about 150 candidates appointed as assistant engineers, junior engineers, town planning officers and sanitary inspectors in the recruitment drive.
When TNIE contacted Nehru on Wednesday for his comments, he refused to respond saying he was in a meeting. Kavi Prasad and Manivanan said they were not connected to the case in any way. Ramesh, Ravichandran and Selvamani did not respond to calls.
Detailing the modus operandi of the alleged scam, ED has alleged that the prospective candidates or their relatives first approach the minister’s five close associates (Ramesh, Selvamani, Kavi Prasad, Manivanan and Ravichandran) seeking help in selection. The associates would then check if the candidates could be accommodated and how much bribe money should be collected from them. Once the deal is finalised, the underlings would ensure the selection of those who could afford to pay the bribe of Rs 25 lakh to 35 lakh, ED alleged, adding that Nehru had full knowledge of these activities.
In the dossier, ED cited digital evidence allegedly retrieved from the Whatsapp conversations recorded in the phones of these associates during a raid in April 2025 to buttress its charge. The agency has alleged that Ramesh, Selvamani and Kavi Prasad would take recommendations from MLAs, top government officials and other brokers in the period between August 2024 and February 2025 for executing the scam. MAWS conducted the written exams in June 2024 and declared the results on February 17, 2025, after which counselling for eligible candidates was carried out. Results were declared on July 4.
ED has allegedly recovered application forms and counselling call letters sent by the brokers from the phones of the associates before the results were announced. The agency alleged that the associates were able to confirm the selection of candidates referred by the brokers a few days before the results were announced.
ED also cited a list allegedly found from Ramesh’s phone that had inputs from Ravichandran, Selvamani and others regarding candidates with markings made as per importance/priority. Many of these candidates were issued appointment orders, the central agency claimed.
Selvamani, identified as an accomplice of Nehru’s brother Ravichandran, allegedly received profiles of candidates from brokers a few days before the counselling results were announced. ED cites an alleged conversation from a broker who thanked Selvamani for the selection and also demanded help with appointment of candidates to Greater Chennai Corporation and Tambaram Corporation.
ED alleged that Kavi Prasad, associated with Ravichandran for 28 years, was able to get a candidate, who was not selected in the initial rounds, to make it to the final merit list.
Ravichandran is alleged by the ED to have ensured the selection of the daughter of a joint director of industries department. The ED has also alleged that pictures of Rs 10 note used for hawala transactions were shared in the Whatsapp conversation among the associates after details of candidates were shared by the brokers.
Opposition demands swift investigation, CBI case
Chennai: Calling the scam a cruel betrayal to TN youth, AIADMK chief EPS has sought TN police to file an FIR and initiate a probe swiftly. BJP’s TN chief Nainar Nagenthran and K Annamalai have demanded a CBI probe
Nehru: Bid to malign Dravidian model government
Chennai: Rejecting the allegations, Minister K N Nehru said the ED’s charges are because of its “ulterior political motives”. “After failing to blow up an old bank case, this is ED’s latest attempt to malign the Dravidian model government,” he said
