Chennai: Madras high court on Wednesday refused to restrain the DVAC from taking any coercive action against a Class-I contractor of state water resources department, who challenged a 2024 communication sent by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the Tamil Nadu DGP in connection with its probe into alleged ₹4,000 crore illegal sand mining.The first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan ordered notices and asked the DVAC to respond to the plea in two weeks.The petitioner, A Rajkumar, working partner of R S Constructions, a Class-I contractor of the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department approached the court against a DVAC inquiry based on a 2024 communication issued by the ED in connection with an illegal sand mining investigation.According to the petitioner, the ED communication named his firm among four contractors and referred to statements of water resources department officials, a report by Terraqua UAV Solutions, data obtained from excavator manufacturers and a provisional attachment order. Rajkumar claimed that the communication did not attribute any specific act or omission to him or his firm and did not seek registration of an FIR.He further stated that, in Dec 2025, the state govt described the June 2024 communication as ‘absolutely non-est’ and a ‘dead communication’ in proceedings concerning a subsequent ED plea seeking registration of FIRs.However, after the change of govt in May 2026, DVAC issued a notice to the petitioner on Sept 16 directing his appearance. The notice did not specify an allegation or offence and stated that the firm was acquainted with the facts of an enquiry, he added.
