ED flags recruitment in exchange for bribes in Tamil Nadu dept, govt refutes all charges
ED, in a letter dated October 27 to the Tamil Nadu police, alleged that bribes of ₹25-35 lakh per post were exchanged for 2,538 posts in the MAWS department. The agency said that while investigating a bank fraud in April, they found evidence of corruption in the hiring of staff in MAWS in 2024-25 and 2025-26 in some of the seized devices
Tamil Nadu’s Opposition alliance on Wednesday accused the state’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led government of not acting on information from the Enforcement Directorate, alleging corruption in the recruitment of 2,538 posts in Tamil Nadu’s Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department , even as the government claimed the federal agency was raking up an old case of false allegations ahead of next year’s assembly elections.
ED, in a letter dated October 27 to the Tamil Nadu police, alleged that bribes of ₹25-35 lakh per post were exchanged for 2,538 posts in the MAWS department. The agency said that while investigating a bank fraud in April, they found evidence of corruption in the hiring of staff in MAWS in 2024-25 and 2025-26 in some of the seized devices.
“The appointment letters to about 2500 candidates who were selected to various positions in MAWS Department were issued by the CM of Tamil Nadu on 06-08-2025 in a public gathering,” ED’s letter said. “The incriminating digital evidence such as photos, WhatsApp chats, documents, etc. recovered from the seized devices of the search operations [conducted in April 2025] were analysed. The findings are shocking and alarming. The evidence clearly shows that huge manipulations were done in the recently concluded selection/ examination process of officers and staff by MAWS.”
“Bribes amounting to about ₹25 lakh to ₹35 lakh per selection/ post (depending on the nature/class of post] were collected for appointment of many candidates to jobs by manipulating the examination process,” ED wrote in its letter.
{{/usCountry}}“Bribes amounting to about ₹25 lakh to ₹35 lakh per selection/ post (depending on the nature/class of post] were collected for appointment of many candidates to jobs by manipulating the examination process,” ED wrote in its letter.
{{/usCountry}}ED attached a 232-page note to its letter with the evidence such as photos/documents/ hawala notes/ cash transactions, etc. extracted from the phones and details of deals with around 150 candidates.
{{/usCountry}}ED attached a 232-page note to its letter with the evidence such as photos/documents/ hawala notes/ cash transactions, etc. extracted from the phones and details of deals with around 150 candidates.
{{/usCountry}}ED claimed in its letter that public servants, politicians, their close associates, were involved, and that the evidence “makes out a case of corruption, cheating and money laundering”. Thousands of candidates were cheated in the exam, the ED said. “The evidence in the attached note clearly ..” the ED said adding that it is “a tip of the iceberg of a much larger scam in the MAWS Dept.”
{{/usCountry}}ED claimed in its letter that public servants, politicians, their close associates, were involved, and that the evidence “makes out a case of corruption, cheating and money laundering”. Thousands of candidates were cheated in the exam, the ED said. “The evidence in the attached note clearly ..” the ED said adding that it is “a tip of the iceberg of a much larger scam in the MAWS Dept.”
{{/usCountry}}ED forwarded the evidence to the TN police under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) so that investigations can be initiated.
The opposition AIADMK and BJP slammed the government for what they said was a ₹800 crore corruption scandal, targeting water supply minister K N Nehru. “Complaints revealed bribes of ₹25-35 lakh per candidate were collected by Minister Nehru, his brothers and officials,” AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami said. “Under the DMK, there is corruption everywhere in everything.”
The BJP’s former state president K Annamalai demanded a CBI investigation. “DMK has crushed the dreams of so many candidates because of their greed,” Annamalai said.
Nehru countered that a politically motivated smear campaign is being run by the BJP-led Union government since Tamil Nadu faces assembly elections next year.
The minister explained the recruitment process to fill the vacancies which began in 2019 under the previous AIADMK regime (an ally of the BJP). “Due to insufficient appointments back then, vacancies piled up, causing immense administrative hurdles,” Nehru said. 100,000 candidates appeared for written exams at 591 centres across 38 districts and were evaluated independently by Chennai’s premier Anna University, the minister said. “Not a single complaint was received from the lakh of applicants which shows the fairness of the process,” Nehru added.
