The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday informed the Madras High Court of having registered a First Information Report (FIR) against V. Annaprakash, an alleged associate of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, and 11 serving as well as former government servants in Theni, in connection with an illegal gravel mining and government poramboke land grab case.
Appearing before Justice G. Chandrasekharan, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) E. Raj Thilak said the FIR was registered on February 5 after obtaining prior approval, as required, under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) of 1988, from the Industries Secretary as well as the Theni Collector to prosecute officials belonging to the geology and mining and the revenue departments.
The APP said the twelfth accused, Annaprakash, was the Periyakulam West Union Secretary of the AIADMK. Among the other accused were three retired Assistant Directors of Geology and Mining and two serving officials. Two tahsildars, two zonal deputy tahsildars, one firka surveyor and a village administrative officer, too, had been arrayed as accused.
