Madras HC directs DVAC to probe prison fund misappropriation
Advocate Pugazhenthi moved a lunch motion before the division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman, alleging that prison officials are misappropriating massive amounts of government funds.
DTNEXT Bureau
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: Citing a recent news article published by the Daily Thanthi, the Madras High Court observed that it is unjust and atrocious that prisoners are not being appropriately paid for the work they have done in jails and directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to furnish the details of the investigation conducted based on the allegations of funds misappropriation at Central prisons, including Puzhal.
Advocate Pugazhenthi moved a lunch motion before the division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman, alleging that prison officials are misappropriating massive amounts of government funds.
The advocate supported the claim with the news article published by the Tamil newspaper Daily Thanthi, which reported that nearly Rs 14.5 crore of State funds were misappropriated in prisons.
Kokila, the petitioner, submitted that her husband Murugaiyan, imprisoned in Puzhal Central Prison, is not paid appropriately. He works as a school assistant in the prison. He has been receiving Rs 2,850 as monthly wages, but it stopped four months ago.
She also claimed that several other prisoners were in a similar situation and were not being paid properly, as the authorities swindled funds supposed to reach the prisoners. The representation made by the petitioner seeking 60 days remission for her husband under the provisions of Tamil Nadu Prisons Rules, 1983, was not considered by the officials, she added.
Additional public prosecutor (APP) R Muniyapparaj submitted that the anti-corruption watchdog has already initiated an enquiry regarding the misappropriation allegations, "A departmental enquiry also commenced," said the APP.
After the submission, the bench directed the DVAC to provide details of enquiry proceedings and actions taken regarding large-scale misappropriation of government funds and the corrupt activities of officials, causing loss to the state exchequer.
The matter was posted to Monday (December 16) for further proceedings.
