The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court ordered the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on Tuesday to immediately lodge a criminal case into fraudulent book procurements across Tamil Nadu public libraries.
The judges pulled no punches.
A Bench comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and MD Sumathi ordered the immediate freezing of bank accounts belonging to Agal Vilakku Publications, its proprietor Mohan, and key associates accused of funneling substandard and plagiarized volumes into the state repository system. The court directed the state administration to initiate disciplinary proceedings and suspend any bureaucrat tied to the transactions. The Director of Public Libraries must now conduct an exhaustive audit to identify every official involved in clearance procedures over the past two years.
State authorities must lay bare the exact financial toll, produce full purchase ledgers, and explain how unvetted titles entered public institutions under their watch.
The judicial intervention follows a contempt petition accusing state authorities of willful non-compliance with a June 2024 High Court mandate on transparent acquisitions. That earlier directive established binding safeguard protocols: the creation of a public procurement portal, the mandatory digital display of shortlisted titles and cover art, and a 30-day objection window for publishers and citizens before purchases close.
Those procurement rules expressly bar the repurchase of identical works within a five-year cycle and outlaw evasive industry maneuvers, including reissuing older texts under altered titles or fabricated author aliases.
| Case Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Accused Entity | Agal Vilakku Publications & Proprietor Mohan |
| Investigating Agency | Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) |
| Mandated Action | Immediate FIR registration, bank account freeze, official suspensions |
| Judicial Bench | Justice GR Swaminathan and Justice MD Sumathi |
| Core Statutory Provision | Rule 18(4), Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Rules, 1950 |
| Next Court Milestone | Compliance hearing on November 11 |
The current crisis centers on inventory selected for Periyar Arivulagam, an expansive ₹300-crore public project initiated under the previous DMK government and inaugurated on October 16 by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay following the TVK's rise to power. Author Perumal Murugan sounded the alarm weeks ago, publicly questioning the sudden influx of poor-quality writing, ghost imprints, and content generated using artificial intelligence tools.
The findings triggered a sharp political fight between the ruling TVK and the opposition DMK over bureaucratic accountability. The government admitted that irregularities occurred and cancelled pending purchase sanctions, prompting an initial DVAC preliminary probe. But the court rejected bureaucratic delays when prosecutors conceded they had not yet registered a formal First Information Report.
Invoking statutory baselines, the Bench applied Rule 18(4) of the Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Rules, 1950, which mandates that public collections house works of verified cultural standing while strictly barring works of doubtful taste. The judges ruled that non-fiction must face the same rigorous bar.
A book with dubious content and false narratives is certainly one with doubtful taste. AI-generated and plagiarised works also would fall within this ambit.
Madras High Court
The Bench added that works submitted by debut authors must face strict vetting from selection panels, matching the benchmarks established for seasoned writers.
The Director of Public Libraries must now file a detailed affidavit detailing the timeline of approvals, named administrative personnel, and payment disbursals. The High Court will review the DVAC's compliance and the status of the criminal case on November 11.