The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on Thursday searched 25 locations across Tamil Nadu linked to former minister and DMK leader K N Nehru in connection with an alleged Rs 634-crore cash-for-jobs case involving recruitment to the Municipal Administration and Water Supply department.
The searches followed the registration of a case against Nehru and others after the Madras High Court directed authorities to conduct a full-fledged investigation. The action places the recruitment of personnel for an urban civic department under scrutiny, with investigators examining whether candidates were allegedly asked to pay bribes in exchange for government postings.
According to the report, the Enforcement Directorate had flagged the alleged irregularities to the state police in October 2025. The materials provided by the central agency subsequently formed part of the basis for the court-directed probe. The allegations concern the period when Nehru was serving as minister responsible for the Municipal Administration and Water Supply department.
DVAC officials were examining documents, financial records and other materials at the locations targeted in Thursday’s operation. The agency’s stated investigative focus includes tracing the suspected money trail and collecting evidence related to the recruitment process. The searches are part of the investigation and do not by themselves establish criminal liability against the people named in the case.
The case has implications for the administration of municipal services because the MAWS department is responsible for functions connected with local government and water supply. Recruitment to such departments affects the staffing of institutions that deliver and manage essential civic services, although the report does not specify the posts allegedly involved or the number of candidates who may have been affected.
The searches came a day after Nehru approached the Supreme Court by filing a Special Leave Petition. He is challenging the Madras High Court’s October 26 order dismissing his review petition against the registration of the First Information Report. The Supreme Court filing is the latest legal development reported in connection with the case.
The investigation now moves on two linked tracks: the DVAC’s examination of records and financial transactions, and the legal challenge to the registration of the case. Further action will depend on the evidence gathered during the searches and the proceedings before the Supreme Court.
