Former Higher Education Minister Anbalagan’s DVAC case — what the FIR says

As per the DVAC’s calculation, the quantum of disproportionate assets acquired by K.P. Anbalagan during his ministerial tenure, was ₹11.32 crore

Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) officials is conducting raids at premises linked to former Minister for higher education K.P. Anbalagan. Police personnel standing guard outside a house at Nungambakkam in Chennai on Thursday

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC)

registered an FIR against former Higher Education Minister K.P. Anbalagan , and his immediate family members, over disproportionate assets acquisition to the tune of ₹11.32 crore during Mr. Anbalagan’s tenure in office between May 2016 and 2021.

While Mr. Anbalagan has been booked under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, his family members including his wife, two sons and daughter-in-law have been booked for aiding and abetting in his corruption while in public office.

According to the DVAC, a discreet verification was carried out based on vigilance information that Mr. Anbalagan, during his tenure as the higher education minister between May 2016 and May 2021, had indulged in corrupt activities and had “intentionally enriched himself illicitly and acquired properties (movable and immovable assets) and pecuniary resources in his name and in the names of his family members relatives, which are disproportionate to his known sources of income.”

Based on an enquiry, an FIR was registered by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Dharmapuri.Among those named in the FIR as co-accused include Mr. Anbalagan’s wife A. Malliga (55), his sons A. Sasimohan(29), A. Chandra Mohan(32) and Chandra Mohan’s wife S. Vaishnavee(32), all cohabiting as a joint family.

According to the DVAC, most of the acquisitions had taken place between 2016 and 2021, overlapping with his ministerial tenure. Further, the quantum of disproportionate acquisition of assets was arrived at based on the election affidavits filed by Mr. Anbalagan ahead of the Assembly elections in 2016 and 2021, and also based on “information received from credible sources.”

Therefore the DVAC has considered its “check period” for the allegations of corruption as between April 2016 to March 2016.Based on the election affidavit, Mr. Anbalagan and his family members had reported asset ownership (movable and immovable) of ₹1.60 crore as of April 2016. The assets acquired by the accused as reported as of March 2021 in the affidavit were valued at ₹23.03 crore. The income derived during the DVAC’s check period was ₹23.59 crore, and expenses incurred were ₹13.48 crore, as per the affidavit filings.

This aside, the DVAC, based on its enquiry has stated that Mr. Anbalagan’s other undisclosed properties/businesses include various stone quarries in Dharmapuri the names of his son-in-law, a brother-in-law, and a close associate, a granite firm called M/s Ganesh Granite located at Avvai Shanmugam Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai incorporated under the name of his niece and her husband (sister’s daughter Deepa and son-in-law N. Sivakumar). Sivakumar is also a 80% holding partner in another granite firm in Karimnagar district of Telangana.

The DVAC has calculated the quantum of acquisitions vis-à-vis known sources of income, savings, and expenditure during the check period, according to the FIR.

In another statement, the DVAC has cited a petition filed by an individual, N. Krishnamoorthy before the Madras High Court seeing a direction to the DVAC to investigate his earlier petition alleging the amassment of wealth by Mr. Anbalagan.Simultaneously, the DVAC had conducted its own enquiry and based on the information collected, a case was registered.