Tamil Nadu’s school education department has lodged a complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) seeking an inquiry into the alleged purchase of AI-generated and fraudulent books for Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore and public libraries under construction across the state, school education minister A Rajmohan said on Saturday.
Rajmohan described the matter as the state’s “first AI scam” and said the department would establish a special committee to examine book collections in government libraries across Tamil Nadu. He also demanded an apology from the DMK and said the government would seek to recover money spent from the state exchequer if irregularities were established.
The minister said the department had reviewed the procurement process after writer Perumal Murugan, who was part of a government committee, raised concerns about the books. According to Rajmohan, the inquiry found that the alleged irregularities were not restricted to one library and had affected several libraries.
Rajmohan displayed copies of emails sent to Agal Vilakku Pathippagam on February 14, asking the publisher to deliver the books within seven days. He said the purchase order was issued in March and alleged that the transaction took place during the previous DMK government. The minister added that the current TVK government had not issued orders for the purchase of any of the books, but had released pending payments to facilitate the opening of the library.
The minister said books from the same publisher had been ordered for multiple libraries. He cited the publisher’s use of separate addresses for purchase and delivery, as well as its operation of two or three publishing companies, as issues requiring scrutiny. Rajmohan said the books were selected from a list submitted by publishers and placed before an expert committee of 137 members. He said 112 members attended the meeting and signed its minutes.
Rajmohan further alleged that a high-level committee had approved the recommendations under pressure from the previous government. He said political influence, including possible involvement by ministers from the former government, could have played a role, while also not ruling out the involvement of government officials. He said anyone found responsible would face action after the inquiry.
Responding to questions about seals bearing June dates on the books, Rajmohan said the dates referred to when the books were removed from cartons and placed on library shelves. He said the consignment had arrived in more than 40 cartons.
The minister also referred to author names including “Vijay Trisha” and several others carrying the name “Vijay”, alleging that the names were deliberately created to demean a political leader and conceal wrongdoing. He urged public works minister Aadhav Arjuna to examine alleged irregularities in construction work connected to the facilities, citing concerns related to student safety.
The DVAC inquiry and the proposed special committee are the next steps announced by the department. Their findings will determine whether the alleged procurement, publication and construction-related irregularities resulted in financial loss or violations of official procedure.
