DVAC says 170 documents, 13 devices seized in K. N. Nehru-linked recruitment probe
DVAC says 170 documents and 13 electronic devices were seized after searches at 25 Tamil Nadu locations; the ₹634-crore recruitment allegation remains under investigation.
Representative contextual image; it does not depict the October 29 DVAC searches or any named premises. Photo: Akshat Jhingran/Unsplash. Unsplash License.
Updated — October 30, 2026, 12:06 p.m. IST: Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption said it seized 170 documents and 13 electronic devices after searches at 25 locations on October 29 in a recruitment-corruption investigation involving former Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister K. N. Nehru and seven others.
The searches covered locations in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, Namakkal and Tirunelveli. The agency is investigating alleged irregularities in the recruitment of 2,538 candidates to MAWS posts during 2024–25.
What is alleged
- The Enforcement Directorate material forwarded to Tamil Nadu authorities alleged that about ₹634 crore was collected as bribes for appointments.
- DVAC’s case alleges that money was taken from ineligible candidates for posts including assistant engineer, junior engineer, sanitary inspector and draughtsman, and that funds were routed through hawala channels.
- Investigators said the seized documents and devices will be examined. Their description of material as incriminating is an agency allegation and has not been tested in court.
Court and response
The Madras High Court directed registration of a case on February 20. DVAC registered the FIR on June 5, and the High Court dismissed Nehru’s review petition on October 26. He approached the Supreme Court on October 28.
Nehru confirmed that officials searched his premises and took two laptops and documents. He said the matter would be contested through the courts.
Legal caution: The case remains under investigation. Searches, seizure of material and registration of an FIR do not establish guilt. The ₹634-crore figure is an allegation, not a judicial finding.
Sources and verification
- PTI/ThePrint — DVAC headquarters release and seizure details, October 29, 2026
- DT Next — official-statement details, October 29, 2026
- The Indian Express — searches and court context, updated October 29, 2026
- The New Indian Express — investigation and court proceedings, October 29, 2026
Image: Representative government-building photograph; it does not depict the searches or any named premises. Photo: Akshat Jhingran/Unsplash. Source page · Unsplash License. No material modification disclosed.
