Register FIR, freeze bank accounts, reveal names of officers – HC to TN in books scam
The case was posted for hearing on Nov 11. In 2024, while disposing of a pending PIL, a division bench which included Justice Swaminathan, had laid down an exhaustive list of guidelines and issued a series of directions including a dedicated website, to ensure transparency in the process of purchasing books for public libraries in the state. The present PIL was filed by advocate V Ramasubbu from Tirunelveli, complaining that the 2024 order had not been complied with. By stacking bogus books with false content and books by phantom authors, not only the statutory duty cast under the Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Act, 1948 is being breached, the right to receive accurate and quality information is also infringed, the judges said, adding: We take judicial notice of the fact that persons from ordinary backgrounds who otherwise will be deprived of access to standard books on literature are the intended beneficiaries.
The judges also ordered the director of public libraries to make available the names and details of officials responsible for having made fraudulent procurements of the ‘so-called books’ during the last two years and more, so that they could be impleaded as contemnors in the petition and dealt with appropriately. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Madurai | Silver Rate in Madurai | Bank Holidays in Madurai | Public Holidays in Madurai | Madurai AQI | Weather in Madurai | Petrol Price in Madurai | Diesel Price in Madurai | CNG Price in Madurai | LPG Price in Madurai Stay updated with the latest Madurai news.
The DVAC is said to be conducting a detailed inquiry. Not only the BNS provisions but also the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act stand attracted,” said a division bench of Justice G R Swaminathan and Justice M D Sumathi. The persons involved from top to bottom should be identified and named,” the bench said. The librarians concerned should forthwith take inventory of such suspect books and make them unavailable to the reading public,” the bench said. Ruing that the present situation would have arisen had the govts of the day had implemented the earlier order of the court, the present bench said: “.”If only the comprehensive directions issued by us in the year 2024 had been followed, we are certain that procurement would not have been made from dubious entities such as Agal Vilakku, Sigma and Phoenix publishers.
“Even though the facts tumbled out of the closet last week, no FIR has been registered. We wondered as to what prevented the DVAC from registering an FIR against unknown public servants. Crores of rupees have gone out of the public exchequer. It was too obvious that a crime of this humongous proportion could not have taken place but for the active involvement of government servants. The judges also called for details of the exact amount spent towards procurement of the ‘so-called books’. “All the relevant records should be made available. In particular, a report should be filed in the form of an affidavit by the director of public libraries setting out the entire sequence and trajectory of events. “The govt should immediately take disciplinary action, including suspension of the officials involved. When they enter the portals of such libraries, they are entitled to presume that the information found therein in the form of books, would be authentic. Download the TOI App.
Madurai: Livid with Tamil Nadu govt for delay in registering case against officials and other culprits behind the ‘humungous’ library book purchase scam, Madras high court on Tuesday ordered the DVAC to register an FIR and freeze the bank accounts of Agal Vilakku Publication, its proprietor Mohan and others involved.