The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption raided the premises of former Tamil Nadu Highways Minister E.V. Velu and others on Thursday in connection with alleged payments for unexecuted road works.
The agency acted on a 2022 complaint by Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam. It registered the case after receiving state government permission on June 23, 2026. Officials allege that several crores were paid to contractors in March 2022 for works that remained unexecuted, including ₹3.23 crore out of ₹4.19 crore sanctioned in the Tiruppur circle.
Searches took place at 20 locations across Tamil Nadu. Authorities seized documents and ₹40 lakh in unaccounted cash. E.V. Velu stated that no money was recovered from premises linked to him.
DMK president M.K. Stalin said Velu would cooperate fully with the investigation and prove his innocence in court. The case names nine highways department officials and contractor Sankaranand Infra alongside Velu.
