The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit, within four weeks, a report detailing disciplinary action pending against officials across all departments, while hearing allegations of a ₹2.35 crore fraud involving funds meant for Adi Dravidar hostel students in Sivaganga district.
The order was passed by a Bench comprising Justices P. Velmurugan and K.K. Ramasamy during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition filed by Sakthivel of Patharakudi in Sivaganga. The petition alleged that money sanctioned between 2017 and 2023 for students living in Adi Dravidar welfare hostels was not credited to the beneficiaries’ accounts and was misappropriated by officials.
The petitioner also alleged that some officials linked to the case had received promotions, while others had been allowed to retire. The plea sought the transfer of a case pending with the District Crime Branch to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department for investigation.
Representing the government, the public prosecutor told the court that police had filed a charge sheet before the competent lower court against 12 people, including a Deputy Collector and several tahsildars. The government also informed the Bench that charge memos had been issued against the officials concerned and that the Revenue Secretary had appointed an inquiry officer to conduct departmental proceedings.
The government sought additional time to file the inquiry report. The judges questioned the delay in filing the charge sheet, observing that it had been submitted several years after the alleged incident. During the hearing, the Bench criticised the alleged diversion of money intended for Adi Dravidar students and questioned whether officials should benefit from funds meant for vulnerable beneficiaries.
The judges also questioned the use of public money to defend officials accused of wrongdoing and expressed concern about the continuation of administrative attitudes despite changes in government. The observations were made during the hearing and do not constitute a final finding of guilt against the accused officials.
The court’s direction extends beyond the Sivaganga case. The state government has been asked to provide details of the number of officials facing pending disciplinary action in every department, along with information on pending appeals and inquiries. The report must be filed within four weeks.
The case highlights the administrative gap between the sanctioning of welfare funds and their delivery to intended beneficiaries. The court’s next consideration will depend on the statewide report and the status of the departmental and criminal proceedings already initiated.
