Chennai: Continuing its action against alleged irregularities in appointments by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, vigilance sleuths on Tuesday swooped down on suspected middlemen at 42 places across the state, including Chennai.
Raids were conducted at 14 places in Chennai and seven at Madurai, an official release from the Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) here said. Besides these two, searches at residences and office premises of `suspected middlemen` were also conducted at Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Sivaganga, Salem, Erode, Kancheepuram, Namakkal, Theni, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Dindigul districts, the release added.
This is the third in a series of raids by DVAC, with TNPSC Chairman T R Sellamuthu and many members having already come under the DVAC net.
The charges against Sellamuthu and others include criminal misconduct by obtaining pecuniary advantage and abuse of official position, among others. A case had been filed under different sections of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) over alleged irregularities in recruitment of Assistant Dental surgeons and Motor Vehicle inspectors Grade II. The state government had in August brought the DVAC under the Vigilance ambit. PTI