Raid or Revenge? Who Writes the Verdict Before the Court Does?
Early this morning, vigilance officers reached the Tiruchirappalli home of former Tamil Nadu minister K.N. Nehru. Within minutes, #KNNehru was trending. Within an hour, half the internet had declared him guilty and the other half had declared him a victim. Here is what a thinking student should ask instead. What actually happened? Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) began searches at more than 20 locations, including his Trichy residence and sites in Chennai. It follows a Madras High Court order on October 26 that dismissed his review petition. What is the allegation? That about ₹634 crore in bribes bought 2,538 municipal jobs, such as assistant and junior engineer posts, during his time in office. The claim rests on a 232-page Enforcement Directorate dossier alleging ₹25 to 35 lakh per post and hawala transfers. Separate ₹1,000 crore tender allegations led to raids in September. So is he guilty? Not yet. A raid is a search, not a verdi...
