ED Seeks FIR Against TN Minister KN Nehru Over Rs 1,020 Crore Corruption Allegations

The Enforcement Directorate has escalated pressure on Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru by formally requesting the state government to register a new FIR against him in connection with alleged corruption exceeding Rs 1,020 crore in public contracts. Sources within the agency disclosed that a detailed 258-page dossier, accompanied by over 300 pieces of photographic and digital evidence, was dispatched to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), demanding immediate action.

According to ED officials, the alleged modus operandi involved pre-determining contract winners even before tenders were opened, with bribes ranging from 7.5% to 10% of contract value systematically collected for infrastructure projects, including toilet construction and outsourcing works across local bodies. Recovered material reportedly includes handwritten calculation sheets, WhatsApp messages, and detailed notes specifying contract values, panchayat names, amounts paid, and pending bribes, with transactions executed through cash and hawala channels.

The agency described the Rs 1,020 crore figure as a conservative estimate, excluding additional irregularities uncovered during the investigation. Evidence surfaced incidentally while probing a separate Rs 30 crore bank fraud case involving companies linked to the minister’s brothers, which was subsequently closed for lack of substantiation in the original matter. The current allegations emerged from forensic analysis of seized mobile phones and digital devices.

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This marks the second major communication from the ED to Tamil Nadu authorities regarding the same department within weeks. The previous dossier alleged a cash-for-jobs scam involving bribes of Rs 25-35 lakh collected from over 150 candidates for approximately 2,400 appointments. DVAC sources confirmed receipt of the latest consignment but stated that a detailed examination is still underway before any decision on registration of an FIR.

The ruling DMK has strongly rejected the allegations, terming them a politically orchestrated campaign timed ahead of upcoming elections and accusing central agencies of being weaponised against opposition-ruled states. Minister KN Nehru, who previously dismissed similar charges as fabricated, has yet to issue a formal response to the fresh claims as political temperatures rise over the escalating confrontation between the state and central probe agencies.

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