TN pollution control board chairman booked for graft

Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has filed a case against Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s present chairman and retired Indian Forest Service officer AV Venkatachalam on charges of criminal misconduct and criminal misappropriation, officials said

Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has filed a case against Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s present chairman and retired Indian Forest Service officer AV Venkatachalam on charges of criminal misconduct and criminal misappropriation, officials said.

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During the course of investigation on Thursday, searches were conducted in five places, including the office of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. Officials seized cash of ₹13.5 lakhs and gold jewellery weighing around 6.5 kg approximately valued at ₹2.5 crore. They also identified documents relevant to the case. Around 10 kg of sandalwood articles and pieces were also identified at Venkatachalam’s residence. “We have requested the Tamil Nadu forest officials to take necessary action,” said a senior DVAC official not wishing to be named.

The DVAC has booked Venkatachalam under charges of corruption while he was holding the post of member secretary of the Board from 2013 to 2014, as member secretary of State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) from 2017 to 2018 and as chairman of the pollution board from 2019 to till date. The FIR against him has been filed under several sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 as amended in 2018.

“The gold found may cross 8 kg. We are not yet finished and the searches will continue,” said the DVAC official quoted above.

Since the DMK government took over in May, this is the first search being conducted against an official in office. So far the DVAC has registered corruption cases against three former AIADMK ministers.