A SENIOR TAMIL NADU IAS  officer S. Malarvizhi, who was raided by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) three years ago, has drawn attention due to the lack of action in the alleged corruption case. Malarvizhi, a 2009-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, was accused of causing an alleged loss of more than ₹1.31 crore to the state exchequer during her tenure as Dharmapuri District Collector. 

Following an FIR, the DVAC carried out searches at multiple locations in 2023. However, publicly available records do not show any detail whether a chargesheet has been filed or that the matter has reached trial till July 2026. Despite the pending vigilance case, Malarvizhi has continued to serve in senior positions in the Tamil Nadu government and is presently posted as Additional Secretary in the Water Resources Department.

Who is S. Malarvizhi?

Born on June 3, 1969, S. Malarvizhi is a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre. After completing her M.Sc. degree, she began her career in public services after clearing the Tamil Nadu Group-I examinations in 2001 and was later promoted to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from the State Civil Service. She went on to serve in several important administrative positions over the last two decades. During her early years,  she worked in the Commercial Taxes Department, including as Joint Commissioner till July 2015. She also served as the District Revenue Officer of Virudhunagar before moving into district administration.

Malarvizhi was appointed District Collector of Sivaganga in 2015 and remained there until 2018. She was later posted as District Collector of Dharmapuri, where she served from February 2018 until around October 2020. During this period, she was responsible for overseeing district administration, revenue matters, and implementation of various government schemes.

After completing her tenure as Collector, she was appointed Vice-Chairperson of Science City in Chennai in June 2021. In July 2023, she was transferred as Additional Secretary in the Water Resources Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. She continues to hold the post as of July 2026.

See Also: Who is Pooja Singhal? IAS Officer Reinstated in Jharkhand IT Department After Getting Bail in Money Laundering Case

What is the Corruption Case Against S. Malarvizhi?

The case dates back to June 5, 2023, when the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption registered an FIR against Malarvizhi and two private traders: H. Thageer Hussain of Crescent Traders and Veeraiah Palanivelu of Naga Traders. According to the complaint, the allegations are related to the purchase of nearly 1,25,500 tax receipt books for 251 village panchayats during her tenure as Dharmapuri Collector.

DVAC alleged that the receipt books, meant for collecting house tax, property tax, professional tax, water tax, and other local taxes, were purchased from private firms at around ₹135 per book without following the mandatory tender process. This was allegedly done despite the government-linked printing presses reportedly supplying similar books at around ₹35 to ₹40 each.

Investigators alleged that the purchases resulted in an excess expenditure of approximately ₹1.31 crore, with the total procurement costing around ₹1.82 crore. According to the FIR, the money was drawn from State Finance Commission grants meant for panchayat unions during January to March 2020, while village panchayats were directed to adjust the payments from their own funds. The FIR invoked Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code relating to criminal conspiracy along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 

See Also: UP Woman Posing as Fake IAS Arrested After Assaulting Husband and Demanding ₹40 Lakh From In-Laws

IAS Malarvizhi Continues to Serve in Water Resources Department

A day after registering the case, on June 6, 2023, DVAC officials carried out simultaneous searches at around ten locations linked to the case. The searches included Malarvizhi's residence in Chennai as well as premises in Dharmapuri, Pudukottai, and Villupuram. Officials also searched locations connected to other accused and government officials associated with the alleged procurement.

While the searches were widely reported, no detailed public disclosure regarding major recoveries or seizures was made at the time. Publicly available records do not indicate that a chargesheet has been filed, or the matter has proceeded to trial till July 2026.

Malarvizhi has continued to serve in senior administrative positions throughout this period, including her present posting as Additional Secretary in the Water Resources Department. There have also been no publicly reported service-related actions such as suspension in connection with the case.

It is important to note that the allegations against S. Malarvizhi remains unproven. However, the alleged excess expenditure under her authority continues to remain a big question which still hasn’t been answered.

Suggested Reading: