Form SIT to probe tax scam in Madurai Corporation: High Court

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday (July 17, 2025) directed the Inspector-General of Police (South Zone) and the Madurai Commissioner of Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a senior IPS officer with proven integrity, to conduct an investigation into the alleged property tax scam in the Madurai Corporation.

A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete sought a report from authorities while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by AIADMK Councillor T. Ravi (ward 83) of Madurai, who sought the transfer of the probe into the alleged scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The petitioner said that last year, information regarding the alleged scam surfaced in which several persons had benefited. Based on a complaint given to the Madurai Corporation Commissioner, a committee had been constituted to detect any irregularities.

After receiving the report of the committee, the Corporation Commissioner lodged a complaint with the Madurai City Commissioner of Police. The scam, which occurred between 2022 and 2024, had caused a loss of around ₹200 crore to the civic body, the petitioner alleged.

Though the complaint was lodged by the Corporation Commissioner in 2024, a case was registered only in 2025, after about seven months. There was a long delay in registering the case, he said, adding that action was being taken against the low-profile persons and not the real culprits.

During the course of the hearing, it was contended that persons with political connections were involved in the scam, and as per the instructions of the Chief Minister, the Zonal Chairpersons had resigned from their posts.

The court said a scam of this magnitude had to be investigated by an IPS officer, and the probe should be monitored by higher authorities to ensure that there were no lapses, and that no one was left out of the ambit of prosecution. All those responsible for causing the huge loss to the civic body should be prosecuted, the court said, and posted the matter next week for further hearing.