A High Court-ordered special investigation into the Tamil Nadu fire department bribery case has reportedly found that attempts were made to plant cash and frame five officials, widening the inquiry beyond an incident at the deputy director’s office in Tirunelveli.
The investigation was ordered by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court after anti-corruption police recovered Rs 2.24 lakh during a search at the office of Tirunelveli fire and rescue services deputy director Saravanababu on November 18, 2025. According to the report, CCTV footage indicated that the money had been placed inside the office at midnight as part of an attempt to implicate him.
The court subsequently directed the formation of a special investigation team headed by DIG Santhosh Hathamani to establish the full circumstances of the case. The inquiry has now reportedly indicated that similar attempts were made against five officials, including officials at the fire department offices in Tiruchirappalli and Tiruppur.
The development raises questions about the integrity of complaint-generation and anti-corruption procedures within a department responsible for fire safety approvals, inspections and emergency response. The supplied report does not establish the motive behind the alleged attempts or identify anyone as responsible. Those issues remain part of the special team’s investigation.
As part of the inquiry, the team questioned Tiruchirappalli fire officer Jagadeesh and Chennai fire and rescue services additional director Sathyanarayana at the Tirunelveli Armed Reserve campus. The questioning forms part of an effort to determine how the alleged cash-planting attempts were organised and whether the incidents were connected.
Investigators are also examining telephone calls that provided information to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. According to the report, some of those calls were traced to a SIM card used by a particular fire department official. The inquiry is further examining the possible involvement of an assistant working at the Chennai headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.
The case is significant for the functioning of urban and building-safety administration because fire department offices play a formal role in approvals and compliance processes affecting buildings and public facilities. However, the report does not provide details of any specific building approval, inspection or permit allegedly linked to the case. The confirmed issue at this stage is the investigation into alleged attempts to create bribery cases by placing money in officials’ offices.
Officials cited in the report said the special team is expected to submit its investigation report before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court by October 17. The court-directed filing is the next stated milestone in the case and is expected to clarify the findings, the officials involved and the evidence gathered regarding the alleged attempts to plant cash.
