The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to immediately register an FIR into alleged large-scale irregularities in the procurement of fake, plagiarised and AI-generated books for public libraries across the State.
A Division Bench of Justice GR Swaminathan and Justice MD Sumathi also ordered the immediate freezing of bank accounts belonging to Agal Vilakku Publication, its proprietor Mohan and other persons allegedly involved in the procurement irregularities. The State government has further been directed to initiate disciplinary proceedings, including suspension, against officials suspected of involvement in the alleged scam.
The directions were passed on November 10 while hearing a contempt petition filed by advocate V Ramasubbu, alleging non-compliance with the High Court’s earlier directions issued on June 19, 2024, concerning transparency and accountability in the procurement of books for public libraries.
The Bench expressed concern that despite allegations involving substantial public funds, no FIR had been registered even though the DVAC had taken cognisance of the matter. It observed that the alleged diversion of crores of rupees from the public exchequer could not have occurred without the active involvement of government officials. The Court indicated that offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act were attracted.
The controversy came to light after writer Perumal Murugan raised concerns about alleged fraudulent procurement of books for public libraries, particularly in connection with purchases made for Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore. The Court also referred to a book titled Democracy and People’s Right in the Contemporary World, found in the Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai, which falsely attributed authorship to economist Jean Drèze. Drèze had reportedly denounced the publication as fake. The Bench also noted that books falsely attributed to celebrated Tamil poet Subramania Bharati were available in public libraries.
Emphasising the responsibility of public libraries to provide readers with authentic and reliable material, the Court observed that the circulation of fabricated publications and books carrying fictitious authorship undermined the very purpose of these institutions. It held that stocking such material violated the statutory obligations under the Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Act, 1948, and infringed the right to receive accurate and quality information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
The Bench also referred to Rule 18(4) of the Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Rules, 1950, which excludes books of doubtful taste from procurement. It observed that publications containing dubious material, fabricated narratives, plagiarism or AI-generated content could fall within this category.
The Court directed librarians across the State to prepare an inventory of suspect publications and ensure that such books are not made available to readers. It also asked the Director of Public Libraries to identify officials responsible for the questionable procurement over the preceding two years and more, so that they could be impleaded in the contempt proceedings.
The Director has further been directed to file an affidavit detailing the sequence of events, the expenditure incurred on the procurement and the officials and other persons involved in the process.
The Bench recalled that it had issued a series of directions in June 2024 to introduce transparency in the procurement of books, including maintaining a dedicated website, publishing details of proposed purchases, inviting objections and ensuring scrutiny by an expert committee. It observed that proper implementation of those safeguards could have prevented the alleged irregularities.
The State government informed the Court that it had initiated steps in response to the allegations, including an enquiry by the DVAC and cancellation of existing procurement orders. However, the Bench questioned the delay in registering a criminal case despite the seriousness of the allegations.
The matter was listed for further hearing on November 11.
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