Chennai, Nov 6:
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a criminal case against DMK General Secretary and former Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, along with several department officials, for allegedly causing a revenue loss of Rs 1,427.34 crore to the state exchequer through irregularities in river sand quarrying operations between 2021 and 2024.
The vigilance action follows formal complaints lodged by Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan and S. Thamizhselvan, along with evidence compiled during earlier searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). While allegations of irregularities were flagged across 28 river sand quarries, preliminary assessment by investigators revealed that illegal quarrying in just four operational sand quarries alone resulted in the multi-crore exchequer loss.
The FIR alleges that departmental officials and contractors bypassed transparent, competitive open-tender procedures in favour of restricted and manipulated contracts, permitting excessive extraction well beyond permitted depths and quotas. Vigilance officials have initiated formal scrutiny of tender documentations, mining logs, and related financial transactions.