Disproportionate Assets Case: Former AIADMK Minister R Vaithilingam Under Investigation

Tamil Nadu police have filed a Rs 32.47 crore disproportionate assets case against former AIADMK Housing Minister, R Vaithilingam. The FIR, registered by DVAC, indicates Vaithilingam indulged in corrupt activities and acquired illegal assets between 2011 and 2016, in the name of his elder son, V Prabhu.

Tamil Nadu authorities have launched an investigation into a Rs 32.47 crore disproportionate assets case against R Vaithilingam, the Housing Minister during the previous AIADMK regime.

The FIR alleges that Vaithilingam accepted a Rs 27.90 crore bribe from a property-infrastructure company. This allegedly illegal sum forms a significant part of the case's foundation.

From 2011 to 2016, Vaithilingam, now an MLA, reportedly engaged in corrupt actions, acquiring assets through his elder son, V Prabhu, as per the DVAC's September 19, 2024 FIR. Both Vaithilingam and his son have been booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant laws.

The DVAC quantified Vaithilingam's disproportionate assets to be 1,057.85 percent of his total income during the specified period. Prior to this period, the value of assets in his family’s name was Rs 36.58 lakh. The case suggests a noteworthy property firm paid Vaithilingam's son nearly Rs 27.90 crore, allegedly to secure project permissions. Moreover, additional financial irregularities involving a related subsidiary firm further complicate the case.

(With inputs from agencies.)