Three prison officials facing graft charges suspended

CHENNAI: Three senior prison officials, including a superintendent, have been suspended following a corruption probe into irregularities in the procurement and supply of stationery materials produced by inmates at Madurai Central Jail.

The Tamil Nadu home department approved the recommendations by the Director, Prisons, ADGP Maheshwar Dayal, based on the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption case against them, which uncovered a Rs 1.63 crore scam.

In December 2024, DVAC booked eleven persons including former Superintendent of Central Prison, Madurai and two other prison officials and eight private individuals who indulged in corrupt practices and misappropriated an amount of Rs 1.63 crore in supplying stationery articles to government departments.

DVAC, Madurai unit booked M Urmila, a prison Superintendent, B Vasantha Kannan, additional Superintendent, and M Thiagarajan, an administrative officer.

The three of them were serving at Madurai Prison between 2019 and 2021, when they colluded with suppliers and made documents and bills as if they purchased raw materials and sent it to Central Prison, Madurai for manufacturing stationery articles while the actual supplies were less.

The prison officials made false entries in relevant records and registers and misappropriated an amount of Rs 1.63 crore. They were booked under sections of the IPC and sections of the Prevention of Corruption act.

The private individuals who were booked were identified as VM Jafarullahkhan (JK Traders), his sons VMJ Mohammed Ali and VMK Mohammed Ansari, S Seenivasan, his wife, S Shanthi of Shanti Traders, Kodungayur, S Sankarasubbu and his wife, Dhanalakshmi of Palayamkottai, and M Venkateswari of Nolambur.