Governor's sanction required for probe into ₹100-crore fraud case: Tamil Nadu official

A senior Tamil Nadu government official has moved the Madras High Court seeking to quash a criminal investigation into allegations of a ₹100-crore fraud, contending that the sanction to conduct the probe was improperly granted. Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has challenged the validity of the First Information Report, claiming that the Public Department Secretary lacked the authority to authorize such an investigation.

Poyyamozhi's legal petition centers on a procedural objection, asserting that only the Governor possesses the constitutional and statutory power to sanction investigations against government officials of his rank. According to the official's submission, the sanction granted on June 23, 2026 by the Public Department Secretary was therefore invalid and rendered the FIR null and void.

The case raises questions about the proper authorization procedures for conducting investigations against senior government functionaries in Tamil Nadu. The High Court will now examine whether the procedural requirements were correctly followed and whether the Public Department Secretary had the requisite authority to grant sanction for the investigation.

The matter highlights the intersection of administrative procedure and criminal law in cases involving government personnel. The court's decision could set precedent for how future investigations against officials are initiated and authorized within the state administration.