The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed appeals challenging the Madras High Court order directing a CBI investigation into an alleged Rs 397 crore scam involving the purchase of transformers by TANGEDCO between 2021 and 2023.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to entertain the pleas against the April 29, 2026 High Court decision that transferred the probe from the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to the CBI. The court noted that it could order such an investigation even without a specific prayer, stating that it depends on how the court feels about the case.
The Madras High Court had acted on a plea filed by the NGO Arappor Iyakkam along with some AIADMK members. It criticised the state government for limiting the initial approval to only one official, V Kasi, despite broader allegations against ex-minister V Senthil Balaji and others. The High Court highlighted unexplained delays exceeding legal timelines under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Supreme Court clarified that the CBI investigation must remain uninfluenced by observations made by the Madras High Court. The underlying case concerns alleged irregularities in transformer purchases by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited during Balaji's tenure as electricity minister.
