The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered the freeze of three bank accounts holding approximately ₹22.2 lakh in relation to irregularities concerning book procurement for libraries in Tamil Nadu. It is said that the bank accounts belong to Agal Vilakku Publications and other companies related to the alleged scam of book procurement.

This follows reports about purchases of doubtful books by the government including those which have either plagiarized or AI generated material or those written by fake authors.

Accountability Sought in Book Procurement by High Court

These directives were issued while dealing with a contempt plea related to the non-compliance by the concerned authorities regarding an earlier directive on transparent book procurement.

It was a Bench of Justices G. R. Swaminathan and M. D. Sumathi that had asked for the identities of those who have approved and purchased the books in question. They have also asked the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC) to file an FIR in connection with this case of irregularity.

The Director of Public Libraries has to name the officials and provide procurement papers that would include the expenditure incurred.

Allegations against Agal Vilakku Publications

The Agal Vilakku Publications have been facing allegations due to their involvement in supplying books to the public libraries, especially Periyar Arivulagam library, which was recently set up in Coimbatore.

These allegations came into light after an inquiry into the quality, author and the content of some of the books obtained by the library made by writer Perumal Murugan. The allegations range from the use of fake author identities to plagiarism and even AI-generated content.

As per the information available from the proceedings, there were reportedly around 1,700 books obtained from Agal Vilakku for Periyar Arivulagam, costing ₹17 lakh.

Court Calls for Increased Transparency

The High Court reminded the importance of adhering to its directions made in June 2024 in regard to transparent procurement of books. This involved publication of procurement information in an online portal, display of the shortlisted titles and book covers, and giving the publishers as well as the general public time to make objections.

The court also emphasized the need for reviewing whether the proper process of selecting books was followed and the concerned committees actually approved the books.

At the hearing, it was also feared that some doubtful titles might have been introduced to the procurement list using digital manipulation.

Investigation and Further Court Hearings

A probe by the DVAC into the case has been launched, with the state government requested to give an explanation about the procurement process and those behind it. The court also has sought an affidavit from the Director of Public Libraries giving a detailed account of what happened.

It has brought up wider issues concerning accountability, book publishing companies and the measures needed to ensure that public funds are used for purchasing appropriate and credible books.

The hearings in the High Court will proceed as documents and actions in connection with the investigations are provided.