Case registered against former minister Duraimurugan in unauthorised sand mining scam

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a case against DMK General Secretary and former minister Duraimurugan, among others, in connection with a multi-crore unauthorised sand mining scam in Tamil Nadu. According to the DVAC, Duraimurugan, who was the Minister for Water Resources at the time, has been named as the first accused. Other accused include the then Engineer-in-Chief A. Muthaiya and Ramamurthy, 14 officials from the Water Resources Department, and 10 private individuals or firms.

The investigation into the scam was initiated based on complaints filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and two other parties. Action was taken after preliminary evidence was uncovered during the probe. The complainants alleged corruption and irregularities in river sand mining across 28 quarry sites in Tamil Nadu between 2021 and 2024. It is alleged that contracts were awarded through limited tenders instead of an open tender process. Furthermore, sand was mined in excess of the approved quantity, and fake vouchers in the name of 'permit slips' were created and used as genuine documents for the transportation of sand.

In a statement, the DVAC revealed that an evaluation of four out of the 28 river sand mining sites showed a loss of ₹1,427 crore to the state exchequer. As part of the investigation, various teams conducted search operations at 34 locations across the state, recovering 825 incriminating documents, 11 electronic gadgets, and three keys to bank lockers. Simultaneous raids were carried out early Friday morning at the residences of government officials, contractors, and traders in Tiruchi and Pudukkottai districts.

The ED had previously written to the Tamil Nadu government informing them about a sand mining scam worth ₹4,730 crore. The ED stated that serious irregularities were found in the process of mining and selling sand. Experts from IIT Kanpur and other central agencies were consulted to evaluate the volume of unauthorisedly mined sand. The ED alleged that sand worth ₹4,730 crore may have been illegally mined during the period under investigation, while official records showed revenue of only ₹36.45 crore. Under the PMLA, 2002, the agency has provisionally attached assets worth ₹136.6 crore, including movable assets worth ₹128.34 crore and 209 sand mining machines used in the illegal activity. Additionally, ₹2.25 crore held in the bank accounts of contractors Shanmugam Ramachandran, Karuppaiya Rethinam, and other accused has been seized.

In a report submitted to the Madras High Court, the ED stated that they possess reliable scientific evidence based on technical studies such as drones, LIDAR survey, bathymetric survey, and satellite imagery processing, proving that large-scale unauthorised sand mining occurred within the jurisdictions of various district collectors. The ED shared this information with the then Director General of Police in compliance with legal obligations under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

Duraimurugan is a prominent leader in Tamil Nadu politics and has been serving as the General Secretary of the DMK party. He has previously served as a minister in the Tamil Nadu government, overseeing various departments.