The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a case against former Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru, his brothers, former MLAs S. Sudarshanam and J. J. Ebenezer, and other associates, contractors and government officials for the alleged manipulation of government tenders and collection of illegal gratification in contracts awarded by the Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply Departments between 2021 and 2025.
The FIR, registered as DVAC Headquarters Crime No.7 of 2026 on September 4, names 13 accused, including Mr. Nehru, his brothers K.N. Manivannan and N. Ravichandran, close associate Kavi Prasad, two representatives of TVH Group, three former municipal administration officials, staff of C.T. Constructions, and contractor K. Sathish Kumar. Unknown officials, contractors, and private persons have also been named.
The case followed a 258-page report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the DVAC in December 2025, alleging manipulation of government contracts and a wrongful gain of about ₹1,020 crore. The State government subsequently permitted a detailed inquiry, which was registered in December 2025.
According to the FIR, the DVAC inquiry prima facie found a nexus between public servants, private individuals, and contractors in the award of contracts. It alleged that contractors were identified even before tenders were opened and illegal gratification was collected in the guise of “party fund” at 7.5% to 10% of the contract value.
The FIR cites WhatsApp chats and material recovered from the mobile phones of the accused as evidence. The FIR also refers to the alleged payments of ₹1 crore, ₹2.77 crore, and ₹5 crore in connection with contracts involving a private infrastructure company, besides other alleged payments running into crores.
Based on the detailed inquiry, the DVAC said the material prima facie disclosed offences of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal misconduct. The case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The FIR was registered after permission was obtained under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The DVAC has taken up the investigation and submitted the FIR, along with the ED report, to the Principal Judge, City Civil and Sessions Court, Chennai.