# DVAC books former TN minister EV Velu in lake excavation case 2026-09-27T21:31:37+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has filed an FIR against former Tamil Nadu minister EV Velu, his son EV Kumaran, and others for illegally excavating lake-bed material from Malappambadi Lake in Tiruvannamalai district. The DVAC alleges that between November and December 2025, about 45.72 lakh cubic feet of sand and gravel worth Rs 8.22 crore was removed without permission from the Revenue, Geology and Mining departments, and used to level a private plot for a DMK youth wing conference held on December 14, 2025. The FIR, registered on September 24, says excavation covered roughly 12 acres to depths of 10-23 feet, and an approach road was illegally built over the tank bund. The case was based on a complaint from Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan, according to The Hindu. The Federal reports that Kumaran had obtained permission to remove clay from a nearby lake, but no material was taken from there. This is the second DVAC case against Velu in 2026. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources report the same facts and DVAC allegations, with no discernible difference in framing. The Hindu explicitly names the complainant, Arappor Iyakkam, giving a civil society angle, while The Federal includes more detail on the land purchase chain and a prior DVAC case. The coverage is uniform straight reporting. The investigation will now examine roles of revenue and local body officials, the movement of excavated material, and the land transaction. ## Coverage - thefederal.com (neutral report) Straight reporting of FIR details with no slant - thehindu.com (neutral report) Straight reporting naming complainant, no slant Tags: DMK, DVAC, EV Velu, Malappambadi Lake, Tiruvannamalai Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/dvac-books-former-tn-minister-ev-velu-in-lake-excavation-case/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/dvac-books-former-tn-minister-ev-velu-in-lake-excavation-case/#story-in-brief