NGO Arappor Iyakkam filed the complaint against former minister R Vaithilingam and his son V Prabhu for alleged payment of Rs 27.9 crore as bribe for obtaining building permission.
Tamil Nadu-based NGO Arappor Iyakkam lodged a corruption complaint with the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) against R Vaithilingam — a lawmaker and a former Minister in the AIADMK government and his son V Prabhu. Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan said that he has sent the complaint enclosing various documents, for alleged payment of Rs 27.9 crore as bribe from Shriram Properties and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd (now known as Gateway Office Parks Private Ltd) for building permission.
AIADMK leader Vaithilingam, representing the Orathanadu Assembly constituency was the Minister of Housing and Urban Development during 2011-2016 AIADMK tenure. Venkatesan said the alleged bribe was paid in 2015-16 for sanction of a plan for a high rise building near Chennai.
Analysis of various documents available points to the payment of bribes and corruption by Vaithilingam, his son Prabhu and Shriram Properties and Infrastructure, he said. Venkatesan also said that Shriram Properties had applied with Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) for permission to build 24 blocks of residential and IT units on December 2, 2013. The Planning permission was approved on December 24, 2016. He further alleged that Shriram Properties and Infrastructure had paid Rs 27.9 crore as bribe to Vaithilingam in the form of an unsecured loan to his son’s company Muthammal Estates Pvt Ltd. The alleged payment was made by Shriram Properties’ group company Bharath Coal Chemicals Ltd in the year 2015-16.
The Muthammal Estates was formed on September 22, 2014 with a share capital of Rs 36,00,000 and its revenue was zero until 2019-20, Venkatesan said. He said that Muthammal Estates used the money to buy lands in Trichy District in Tamil Nadu in 2015-16, 2017 and 2019.
Venkatesan also said Bharath Coal Chemicals dealing in metal and chemical manufacturing has been facing finance problems and in 2019-20 it had filed for bankruptcy with debt of Rs 281 crore to various financial creditors.
Arappor Iyakkam is an NGO working towards transparency and accountability in governance.
Source: The News Minute