Madras HC directs Tamil Nadu government to submit records in manual scavenging scheme
The court’s directive followed a plea by Youtuber “Savukku” A Shankar seeking a CBI probe into misappropriation of funds in a government scheme to turn manual scavengers into entrepreneurs
The Madras high court directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit records by Friday on the plea of Youtuber “Savukku” A Shankar seeking a CBI probe into an alleged misappropriation of funds in a government scheme to turn manual scavengers into entrepreneurs.
A bench of justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan passed the order calling for the government’s records.
“Before we consider the contentions of the petitioner on merits, we propose to go through the relevant files ourselves,” the bench said in its order. “We therefore suo-motu implead,” the court said calling on Tamil Nadu’s secretaries of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, MSME Department, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) represented by its Managing Director who are also respondents in the writ petition.
“Registry is directed to amend the cause title accordingly....The impleaded respondents are directed to produce the original files pertaining to the petition mentioned project for our perusal on 16.05.2025. We make it clear that the writ petition itself would be finally disposed of on the said date. It is open to the impleaded respondents to file their written response in the meanwhile,” the court said.
On the alleged misappropriation of funds, Shankar said that his house in Chennai was broken into by people dressed up as sanitation workers on March 24 when they threw sewage and faecal materials around his house and threatened him and his mother. That case is being investigated by the CB-CID based on a police complaint filed by his mother, A Kamala.
“..I am constrained to file this writ petition invoking Article 226 of Constitution, by way of public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an order for CBI investigation in connection to the scam committed against the sanitation workers misusing Dalit Entrepreneur scheme of the central and state government,” Shankar said in his 15-page affidavit which has been seen by HT. “I submit that serious offences of misappropriation and corruption involving central and state government funds under the NAMASTE and Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Schemes (AABCS) were committed by” Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K Selvaperunthagai, the petitioner said and naming others.
“In light of these serious irregularities and illegalities, an impartial and independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is imperative to safeguard the rights of the most marginalised and voiceless members of our society, and to ensure accountability for those who have illegally usurped Government benefits intended for them,” Shankar said.
The attack on Shankar’s residence came into the spotlight since he has been a strident critic of the state’s DMK government and had been jailed for months in various cases including for his derogatory remarks on women police personnel and for possessing drugs. Shankar has been out on bail since January. The TNCC chief has denied the charges.
