The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption police on Thursday conducted simultaneous searches on the premises of former Minister and DMK leader Durai Murugan and his family members. Hours after registering a case against the Katpadi MLA, special teams began the searches at nine places in Vellore, Kancheepuram and Chennai.
Based on specific information that the former Minister had accumulated wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure as the Minister for Public Works Department, Law and Prison, the agency conducted an enquiry.
“Since a prima facie case of cognizable offence was made out, we registered a case against Mr. Durai Murugan under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The period between March 31, 2006 and March 31, 2009 was taken into account for investigation,” a senior DVAC officer said.
Nine officers in the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police led the teams in conducting the searches at the houses and business establishments of Mr. Durai Murugan and his family members. Agency sources said documents pertaining to immovable assets and business transactions were seized.
DVAC teams perused documents of a mineral water unit and educational institution at Katpadi, export unit in Kancheepuram district, three commercial flats in Chennai and a Spinning Mill Cottage at Tirupattur owned by the former Minister or his family members.
According to the FIR filed in the CJM's court at Vellore, Mr. Durai Murugan and his wife Shanthakumari were in possession of properties and pecuniary resources in the form of cash at hand, money in banks, jewels, insurance and properties worth about Rs.77 lakh in their names as on April 1, 2006, based on information furnished by Mr. Durai Murugan in the affidavit submitted by him while filing his nomination for the 2006 Assembly election and the income returns filed by him. The value of the properties in their possession went up to about Rs. 2.77 crore as on March 31, 2009, based on the affidavit filed by the former minister along with the nomination filed by him for the 2011 Assembly election. This showed that the former minister and his wife had acquired properties worth about Rs. 2 crore during the check period (April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2009).
The preliminary investigation by the DVAC revealed that Mr. Durai Murugan and his wife had earned income to the tune of about Rs 2 crore and spent Rs. 1.16 crore during the check period, as per the IT returns filed by them, and as per the affidavit filed by Mr. Durai Murugan during the filing of nomination for the 2011 elections, which showed savings to the tune of about Rs.84 lakh. But he and his wife had acquired properties worth about Rs. 2 crore during the check period, which showed that they had earned about Rs.1.16 crore from unknown sources.
