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Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) reportedly opened a preliminary inquiry on 5 October 2026 into allegations of illegal river-sand mining during the previous DMK government. The News Minute reported that DVAC sent notices to contractors, officials and others to assess whether a prima facie offence existed. The report did not say that DVAC had registered an FIR, and it does not establish anyone’s guilt.

What is the alleged ₹4,700-crore sand-mining case?

The allegations arise from an Enforcement Directorate (ED) money-laundering investigation into river-sand quarrying in Tamil Nadu. The News Minute reported that ED alleged mining went beyond permitted boundaries and depths at 28 quarry sites. According to the outlet’s account of ED’s figures, 196.37 hectares were permitted, while activity was measured across 987.10 hectares.

ED’s estimated value for the allegedly mined sand was reported as about ₹4,700 crore. That is an agency estimate reported by the media—not a court-determined loss, a proven amount of proceeds of crime, or a finding that any person committed an offence. Coverage has also used ₹4,730 crore; the reviewed sources do not establish which figure is definitive, so the more cautious description is “about ₹4,700 crore.” The News Minute’s report is the source for the allegations and figures discussed here.

How did DVAC’s inquiry begin, and what stage is it at?

The News Minute reported that DVAC began a preliminary inquiry on 5 October 2026 and issued notices to contractors, government officials and others. The purpose described in the report was to assess whether a prima facie offence existed before a formal case was registered. A notice or preliminary inquiry is not itself proof of wrongdoing, and the report does not say an FIR has been filed in this matter.

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Accordingly, the established description at the time of that report is that DVAC had opened a preliminary inquiry—not that it had completed an investigation, registered an FIR, or secured a court finding.

What evidence did ED cite for its allegations?

The News Minute reported that ED’s technical assessment used drone and LiDAR surveys, bathymetric surveys, satellite-image processing, and imagery from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s National Remote Sensing Centre. The outlet said Terraqua UAV Solutions, described as incubated at IIT Kanpur, conducted a technical assessment.

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The underlying survey report was not available in the reviewed material. The methods and measurements should therefore be understood as reported descriptions of ED’s assessment, not as independently verified measurements. The reported 987.10-hectare figure is not, by itself, a court finding that the alleged activity or its value has been proved.

What happened in the earlier ED investigation?

  1. 12 September 2023: ED searched 34 locations, including eight sand-mining yards, in six districts, according to its official release dated 15 September 2023.
  2. 15 September 2023: ED said the searches yielded documents and materials it described as evidence of suspected illegal sales, including purported fake receipts. It reported freezing ₹12.82 crore, seizing ₹2.33 crore in unaccounted cash, and seizing 1,024.6 grams of gold. These are the agency’s stated results of the 2023 searches; they do not independently establish the later estimate of about ₹4,700 crore.
  3. June and July 2024: The News Minute reported that ED wrote to Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police seeking registration of an FIR and an investigation, then sent a reminder in July.
  4. July 2024: The News Minute reported that the Madras High Court ordered ED not to take further action, and that the Supreme Court upheld that ruling and quashed the probe.
  5. 5 October 2026: The News Minute reported that DVAC opened the preliminary inquiry and issued notices.

ED’s 15 September 2023 press release described its searches and said, “Further investigation is under progress.” That sentence concerned the investigation described in that release; it does not establish the status of DVAC’s 2026 inquiry.

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How does the 2024 court history relate to DVAC’s inquiry?

The available reporting does not explain the legal basis for DVAC’s 2026 inquiry or how it relates to the reported court orders concerning ED’s earlier probe. The reporting does not establish that the court action was reversed, nor does it establish that the orders automatically prevent a separately reported DVAC inquiry. The relationship remains unclear without the court orders and an official DVAC or government statement.

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What is established—and what remains alleged?

  • Reported procedural step: DVAC opened a preliminary inquiry and sent notices, according to The News Minute’s 6 October 2026 report.
  • Agency allegations and estimates: The 28 sites, area comparison and approximate sand-value figure are ED claims as reported by The News Minute, not adjudicated findings.
  • Earlier search figures: The 2023 search and seizure amounts are what ED said it did; they are not proof of the later estimate.
  • Unresolved legal context: The effect of the 2024 court orders on the separately reported DVAC inquiry is not established by the available reporting.

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