Madras HC refuses to hear jail stationery scam PIL – Times of India

Chennai News

CHENNAI: Madras high court on Tuesday refused to entertain a PIL alleging multi-crore scam at Madurai Central Prison in supplying stationery to state government departments and the judiciary.
Pointing out that the petitioner had primarily relied on an audit report to substantiate his allegation, the first bench of acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P D Audikesavalu said: “Audit report cannot be a conclusive proof.”
As the petitioner sought to withdraw the plea with liberty to file a fresh petition with more particulars, the court dismissed the PIL as withdrawn.
It was advocate P Pugalenthi’s submission that the prison authorities had swindled money to the tune of Rs 30 crore by altering the supply records. Prisoners in Madurai central prison are involved in manufacturing of stationeries like envelopes which would be supplied to various government departments.
The authorities in charge of the supply swindled about Rs 30 crore from June 2019 to June 2021 by modifying the bills of supply, the petitioner said.
For instance, on July 7, 2019 the district court of Madurai received 5,000 small envelopes, 5,000 medium size envelopes and 250 file pads from the prison, however, the bills were modified as if 50,000 small envelopes, 1,00,000 medium size envelopes and 1,50,000 large envelopes were supplied, he said.
Claiming that the authorities have failed to act on several representations made against the prison authorities, the petitioner wanted the court to direct the DVAC to take over the probe.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/madras-hc-refuses-to-hear-jail-stationery-scam-pil/articleshow/87880561.cms