In connection with a case involving corruption and disproportionate assets (DA), the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has temporarily attached six immovable properties valued at Rs. 1.12 crore, unexplained and unaccounted cash of approximately Rs. 3.59 crore, and 61 gold coins, gold ornaments, and silver articles weighing approximately 3625.80 grams and 6492 grams, respectively, that were found on the premises of M. Pannirselvam, a former Joint Chief Environmental Engineer (JCEE) of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, filed two FIRs against M. Pannirselvam alleging corruption and the acquisition of assets totalling ₹ 7.54 crore through ill-gotten money, which is disproportionate to his known sources of income. Based on these allegations, the ED launched an investigation.
The ED inquiry discovered that M Pannirselvam attempted falsely to claim ownership of liquid cash (Rs. 3,58,93,000/-) found with him as belonging to his late parents and brother-in-law during the DVAC proceedings. However, the information gathered by the ED demonstrated that his late parents and brother-in-law had nothing to do with the money that the DVAC had taken.
The ED probe further showed that M. Pannirselvam had made large cash deposits of almost ₹ 1.5 crore in the bank accounts of himself and his relatives, for which neither the public servant nor his relatives could offer an acceptable explanation. It was also discovered that M. Pannirselvam had spent a significant amount of money on unaccounted-for expenses, such as his son’s wedding and schooling, for which he has not provided documentation.
Furthermore, M. Pannirselvam has been unable to demonstrate the veracity of the sources used to acquire real estate held in his family members’ names. As a result, the ED attached these mysterious assets on December 28, 2023, believing them to be the proceeds of crime, and treating them as his ill-gotten money from his official work as a public servant. M Pannirselvam, his wife, and their son also had these assets. Additional research is currently being conducted.
