Book Procurement Scam: Madras HC Orders DVAC to Register FIR, Freeze Publishers' Bank Accounts
- On Tuesday, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to register an FIR and freeze the bank accounts of Agal Vilakku Publications and its proprietor Mohan in connection with a massive library book procurement scam.
- Scandal erupted at the Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore after author Perumal Murugan revealed that many of the 60,000 purchased titles were AI-generated, heavily overpriced, and printed with fake International Standard Book Numbers.
- The Connemara Public Library and Kalaingar Centenary Library also contained bogus books with false content, including works falsely attributed to economist Jean Dreze and poet Bharathiyar, infringing on readers' right to accurate information.
- Justices G.R. Swaminathan and M.D. Sumathi ordered librarians to immediately prepare an inventory of suspect books and make them unavailable to readers, while demanding the government identify officials responsible for fraudulent procurement over the past two years.
- Today, November 11, the court continues its review of the contempt petition, examining whether prior 2024 procurement guidelines were breached and ensuring the statutory duty to provide authentic information to library users is upheld.
16 Articles
16 Articles
‘Crores Have Gone Out Of Public Exchequer’: Madras High Court Orders DVAC To Register FIR Against Agal Vilakku Publications, Directs Freeze Of Bank Accounts
Taking a serious view of the large-scale irregularities in the procurement of books for public libraries across Tamil Nadu, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to register an FIR and freeze the bank accounts of Agal Vilakku Publications, its proprietor Mohan and others allegedly involved in the scam, as reported in The Hindu. A Division Bench comprising Justices G…
Madras High Court orders FIR over fake books of Jean Dreze, Bharathiyar found in libraries
The high court was hearing a contempt petition alleging non-compliance with its June 19, 2024 directions on ensuring transparency and accountability in the procurement of books for Tamil Nadu's public libraries.
Madras HC cracks down on fake book purchases; orders FIR, freezing of accounts
The Madras High Court ordered an FIR and disciplinary action over fraudulent library book procurement. The intervention exposes alleged repackaging of old works and demands transparent public spending.
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