The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a review petition filed by senior DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration and Local Administration Minister K.N. Nehru
seeking to review its order directing the DVAC to file a FIR immediately in the multi-crore cash for jobs scam during the previous DMK regime.
The First Bench comprising Chief Justice S.A.Dharmadhikari and G.Arulmurugan dismissed the plea and gave the goahead to the State Anti-corruption agency to probe the case.
The ex-Minister moved the court against its February 20, 2026, order directing the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to immediately register a criminal case (FIR) against him.
The controversy stems from a communication and a 232-page dossier shared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) with the Tamil Nadu DGP in October 2025, alleging thar Rs 634 crore had been collected as bribes for appointment of 2,538 assistant engineers and junior engineers and Town Planning Officers in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply department.
The First Bench had on August 10 reserved its orders on the ex-Minister’s plea after hearing elaborate arguments from Nehru, the DVAC, and the State. The court has also extended its interim order
restraining further proceedings in the case registered against Nehru until his review plea was disposed off.
The Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan had in February this year directed the DVAC to register a corruption case against Nehru based on ED’s communication on a petition filed by AIADMK MP I.S.Inbadurai, who sought a direction to register an FIR based on his representation dated December 13, 2025, and the ED material. The Rajya Sabha MP argued that once detailed source information from a statutory agency disclosed cognizable offences, registration of an FIR was mandatory under settled Supreme Court law.
Appearing for the state, Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that the ED had sent its communication along with supporting materials, but the previous DMK regime has not taken any action and instead shielded the ex-Minister. He also informed the court that a notice was given to Nehru on Inbadurai’s petition, providing an opportunity to respond, but the DMK leader had not availed it.
Counsels for Nehru contended that the order directing registration of the case was passed without hearing him thereby affecting his rights. He also argued that the present government has no powers to withdraw the review plea filed during the previous regime.
Accepting the government’s submission, the Bench said FIR was mandatory under Section 154 CrPC and that ED’s Section 66(2) of PMLA material on 2,538 appointments cannot be kept in prolonged preliminary enquiry. It also held that the material shared by the ED disclosed prima facie commission of cognizable offences and that the state could not delay registration of an FIR by continuing preliminary enquiries.
The former DMK Minister filed the present review petition against the February order and it was now dismissed by the First Bench.