Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a case against former Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru, his two brothers and several associates over alleged manipulation of government tenders involving contracts worth around ₹1,020 crore between 2021 and 2025.
The FIR, registered by the DVAC’s Special Investigation Cell on September 4, names 13 accused, including Nehru, his brothers K N Manivannan and N Ravichandran, and close associate Kavi Prasad. Former MLAs, government officials and contractors have also been named.
According to the FIR, the alleged racket involved pre-deciding tenders and selecting preferred contractors for works under the Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply Department. Contractors were allegedly asked to pay 7.5% to 10% of the contract value as illegal gratification, allegedly described as “party fund”.
The DVAC said its probe was based substantially on a 258-page report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate in December 2025. Investigators have cited WhatsApp chats, photographs and calculation sheets allegedly recovered from mobile phones as part of the evidence.
The FIR alleges that advance information about proposed government projects and tenders was obtained and used to “prefix” contractors before the tender process. The selected bidders were allegedly subsequently made successful after the payment of illegal gratification.
The investigation is continuing, with the DVAC also probing the role of unidentified officials, private individuals, contractors and companies.