The Madras High Court has directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) not to harass former Tamil Nadu minister and DMK MLA E V Velu and his son E V Kumaran until October 15, when their anticipatory bail applications in an alleged illegal lake soil excavation case will be heard again.
Justice V Lakshminarayanan issued the direction after state public prosecutor John Sathyan sought time to file a counter to the applications. “If the matter is adjourned at the instance of the prosecutor, you must not harass the petitioners until then,” the judge said, according to the report.
The case concerns alleged excavation of soil from Malappambadi lake in Tiruvannamalai to level a venue for the DMK’s north zone youth wing conference held on December 14. Investigators have alleged that soil was removed from around 12 acres of the lake, with excavation depths ranging from 10 feet to 23 feet. The alleged activity is stated to have caused a loss of approximately ₹8.22 crore to the government.
The court’s interim direction does not decide the allegations or grant final relief in the anticipatory bail applications. The matter has been adjourned to October 15, when the prosecution is expected to place its response before the court.
According to the report, the case was registered on September 24 following a complaint filed by anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam on August 13. The complaint related to alleged events in November and December 2025, several months before the case was registered.
Velu, 76, is represented by advocate Rahul Balaji. During the hearing, Balaji argued that the first information report did not identify any order, instruction, communication, payment or other act directly linking Velu to the alleged excavation. He also said the inference that Velu may have facilitated the alleged offence was based on his relationship with his son, Kumaran.
Kumaran is identified in the report as a director of the company that owns the land. The defence has therefore challenged the basis for including Velu in the case, while the prosecution has sought additional time to file its counter. The report does not record a final judicial finding on the alleged excavation, the calculation of the government loss or the responsibility of either petitioner.
The proceedings highlight the legal and administrative questions that arise when public or environmentally sensitive land is allegedly used to prepare large event sites. Lake areas can serve drainage, water-retention and flood-management functions, making the removal of soil a matter extending beyond the immediate use of a venue. In this case, however, the High Court hearing is presently limited to the anticipatory bail pleas and the conduct of the investigating agency until the next hearing.
The DVAC is expected to file its counter before the Madras High Court on October 15. The court will then consider the next stage of the anticipatory bail applications filed by Velu and Kumaran.
