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Two TVK Functionaries Arrested for Allegedly Taking ₹22 Lakh for TASMAC Contract

Published on: 02 Aug 2026, 08:14 AM

Two functionaries of the political party TVK in Aruppukottai have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody for allegedly accepting ₹22 lakh from a truck operator. The arrest was made by the Virudhunagar District Crime Branch following a complaint that the money was taken in exchange for a promise to secure a transport contract with TASMAC, the state-run retail liquor corporation.

The accused have been identified as Sathish Kumar, TVK Aruppukottai West district secretary, and Karthikeyan, TVK Aruppukottai South West district secretary. They were taken into custody on Friday (July 31, 2026) and produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody. The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by A. Suresh, Senior Assistant to the Minister for Prohibition and Excise, K. Vignesh, under sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to criminal conspiracy and cheating.

According to the complainant, Prashant Uthaman, a resident of Coimbatore, claimed to have close proximity to several state ministers and offered to help one Soundararajan, a truck operator, obtain a transport contract from TASMAC. Acting on his instruction, Sathish Kumar and Karthikeyan allegedly received ₹22 lakh from Soundararajan. The money was reportedly transferred to multiple bank accounts, and police are examining the financial trail.

The allegations suggest a misuse of political influence in the awarding of contracts by state agencies like TASMAC. However, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing, and police have not yet named Prashant Uthaman as an accused in the complaint, though his role is under scrutiny.

No official statement has been issued by TVK representatives regarding the arrests at the time of reporting. The case is being investigated by the Virudhunagar District Crime Branch, which has initiated a detailed probe into the matter, including verification of bank accounts and call records.

Source: The Hindu

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