MADURAI: On Thursday, the Madras High Court instructed the Inspector General of Police (South Zone) and the Madurai City Police Commissioner to form a special investigation team led by a senior IPS officer of proven integrity to investigate the property tax scam in Madurai Corporation and report back to the court.
A division bench comprising Justice S.M. Subramaniam and Justice A.D. Maria Clete noted that the petitioner, T. Ravi, an AIADMK councillor from Ward 83 of Madurai Corporation, claimed it was a significant scam and raised concerns over delays in registering an FIR, casting doubt on the investigation’s fairness due to political affiliations. The judges pointed out that following Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s instructions, five zonal chairpersons and two committee chairpersons had resigned, indicating government efforts to uncover the truth and hold the perpetrators accountable.
“A scam of this magnitude requires investigation by an IPS officer, monitored by higher authorities to prevent lapses and ensure that no influential individuals evade prosecution. Those responsible for the substantial losses to the corporation must be prosecuted,” the judges remarked while directing the formation of a special investigating team for a thorough and impartial investigation.
Ravi filed a public interest litigation stating that a massive scam in property tax assessment was uncovered in 2024. He alleged that multiple corporation officials colluded with zonal chairpersons to perpetrate the scam, resulting in over ₹200 crore in lost revenue for the corporation.
He described how the scam involved manipulating property tax assessments in the Urban Tree Information System (UTIS), including tactics such as underreporting the built area, misclassifying commercial properties as residential, and omitting certain building units in the tax database. This malpractice occurred between 2022 and 2024.
The petitioner explained that due to complaints regarding property tax assessment irregularities, the then-corporation commissioner set up an inquiry committee in 2024 and reported the matter to the police on September 10, 2024. However, it wasn’t until June 17, 2025, that the central crime branch registered a case. He criticized the police for only acting against low-profile individuals while sparing those with political clout.
Thus, the petitioner appealed to the court to transfer the investigation to the CBI for a fair inquiry and to ensure that the actual culprits were apprehended.
