Ex-municipal engineer faces DVAC probe for his illicit asset worth Rs 39 lakh

The DVAC has registered a corruption case against former municipal engineer who was posted in Tiruvannamalai district and worked in various capacities in several districts besides holding additional charge as a municipality commissioner after a preliminary probe found that he had amassed illicit assets worth over Rs 39 lakh in 6 years.

Most of the acquisitive activities of accused officer, A Ulaganathan, and his wife fall between the years 2011 and 2017 and hence it was chosen as tentative check period.

The preliminary enquiry by the DVAC revealed that Ulaganathan, was working as Junior Engineer at Kanchipuram Municipality in year 2012. Prior to that, he worked as Junior Engineer from 2004 to 2011 in Arni municipality, Tiruvannamalai and Kancheepuram in 2012 and Nellikuppam in 2013. Later, he served as an Engineer from 2014 to 2016 in Thiruvathipuram municipality, and held additional charges as Municipal Commissioner, Thiruvathipuram Municipality and then worked as Assistant Engineer in Vellore Municipality.

The DVAC has cited his wife, working in a private concern as a cashier, also as an accused. In the beginning of check period the two accused had assets worth Rs 2.81 lakh and it ballooned to Rs 86.6 lakh by the end of check period. After calculating the expenses, genuine income and saving, the DVAC had pegged the officer's disproportionate asset at Rs 39.5 lakh.