DVAC raids 25 premises linked to KN Nehru in Tamil Nadu cash-for-jobs case
Searches follow Madras HC's dismissal of Nehru’s review petition challenging direction to register an FIR in an alleged ₹634-crore recruitment scam
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday (October 29) launched simultaneous searches at 25 premises linked to former Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) minister KN Nehru across Tamil Nadu in connection with an alleged multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam. The searches come days after the Madras High Court cleared the decks for the investigation by dismissing Nehru’s review petition.
According to DVAC sources, the searches are underway at locations in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and other districts, including Nehru’s residences. The action follows the registration of an FIR against the senior DMK leader and others based on materials shared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
ED alleges ₹634 Cr recruitment scam
The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of 2,538 posts, including Assistant Engineers, Junior Engineers, Town Planning Officers and other staff in the MAWS department during Nehru’s tenure as minister in the previous DMK government (2021-2026).
Also Read: DVAC raids 19 premises linked to former Minister KN Nehru and brother
The ED, in a 232-page dossier shared with the then Tamil Nadu Director General of Police on October 27, 2025, alleged that bribes ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹35 lakh per post were collected through hawala channels, with the total amount estimated at around ₹634 crore. The materials reportedly indicated that call letters were shared with candidates even before official selection and appointment.
The ED had unearthed the documents and digital evidence during searches in April 2025 at premises associated with Nehru’s brother N Ravichandran, in connection with a separate bank fraud case. The information was shared with the state police under Section 66 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
HC directs registration of FIR
On February 20, 2026, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court, hearing a petition filed by AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP IS Inbadurai, directed the DVAC to register an FIR forthwith, holding that the ED’s materials disclosed a cognisable offence involving large-scale corruption. The DVAC registered the FIR on June 5, 2026.
Also Read: DVAC promises to probe into ED allegations against TN Minister KN Nehru
Nehru later filed a review petition, contending that he was not heard. On October 26, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan dismissed the review application.
The court observed that a direction to register an FIR is a preliminary step that does not determine guilt, and that Nehru would have full opportunity to present his case during the investigation. The bench also permitted the state government (under the present TVK regime) to withdraw its own review petition and closed the related contempt proceedings filed by Inbadurai for earlier non-compliance.
Nehru moves SC
The raid comes even as Nehru has approached the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (Diary No. 67319/2026) challenging the High Court’s February 20 direction for registration of the FIR and the subsequent dismissal of his review petition. The Tamil Nadu government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, urging that no orders be passed on Nehru’s plea without hearing the state's case.