Chennai: The DVAC has booked former DMK minister E V Velu, his son E V Kumaran, several govt officials and contractors for illegally excavating sand and other material from a lake in Tiruvannamalai, causing an estimated loss of ₹8.2 crore to the exchequer.An FIR was registered following a complaint by anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam. Describing the matter as a “prima facie case of criminal conspiracy, including criminal misconduct by public servants”, the DVAC registered cases under multiple sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.According to the FIR registered by the Tiruvannamalai detachment of DVAC, a factual verification was conducted based on the complaint, which alleged that Velu abused his official position to facilitate the illegal excavation and removal of lake-bed material from Malappambadi Lake. The complaint alleged that around 12 acres of the lake were excavated to depths of 10 to 23 feet between Nov and Dec 2025.The FIR said 45.72 lakh cubic feet of sand was removed from Malappambadi Lake and transported to level a 124-acre property belonging to Kumaran for the DMK’s northern regional conference held in Dec 2025.The DVAC said its verification revealed that Arunai Products and Services Ltd, in which Kumaran is a director, purchased 124.56 acres from Rishi Enterprises for ₹46 crore. Rishi Enterprises is owned by P Jeyalakshmi, wife of highways contractor Pandithurai, the DVAC said.Citing district gazette notifications, the sleuths said Malappambadi Lake was not among the waterbodies identified for removal of silt or gravel for agricultural purposes. It said Kumaran submitted two applications seeking permission to remove clay/silt from Palliyampattu Lake on Oct 31 and Nov 27, 2025. The tahsildar of Tiruvannamalai issued permission to remove 30 cubic metres of clay/silt from Palliyampattu Lake and transport it to a land in Malappambadi village.Another permission was issued on Nov 24, allowing the removal of 24 cubic metres of clay/silt from the same lake. However, the DVAC said no clay or silt was actually removed from this lake.The DVAC said Velu influenced people who levelled the land for the conference and facilitated removal of gravel and other material from Malappambadi Lake. The materials were transported to the conference venue. Kumaran had obtained no permission from the revenue, corporation, and geology and mining departments, the agency said. Officials from the revenue, geology and mining departments, besides the corporation, failed to discharge their statutory duties, thereby facilitating the illegal removal of sand, the DVAC said.“Such deliberate and wilful inaction, despite knowledge of the illegal excavation, prima facie, indicates connivance with persons involved,” the DVAC said. The sleuths said the influence of Velu and his son in the matter cannot be ruled out and requires investigation, along with the role of others involved.
