Madras HC Orders FIR Over AI-Generated Book Procurement Scam

Justices demand accountability for procurement officials

Justices GR Swaminathan and MD Sumathi issued these directives while hearing a contempt petition filed by advocate Ramasubbu. The petition alleged that previous court directions regarding library book procurement were not followed.

The Director of Public Libraries must submit an affidavit detailing the sequence of these events.

Contempt petition highlights failure to follow 2024 procurement guidelines

The contempt petition filed by Ramasubbu alleges that officials holding administrative posts between 2024 and 2026 failed to follow court orders. These failures resulted in financial loss and damaged the educational and civilizational standards of the state. The court issued its directions while hearing a petition regarding the failure to implement the Transparent Book Procurement Policy.

The order required the Director of Public Libraries to maintain a functional website and establish an expert committee to investigate procurement allegations. Publishers with at least 200 books were to be notified by email, and all procurement details had to be made public.

The policy mandated a dedicated website where officials had to publish details and covers of shortlisted books. Public and publishers were granted a one-month window to file objections to the selected works. Procurement conditions strictly prohibit repurchasing the same book within a five-year period. The policy also requires officials to flag suspicious practices, such as changing author names or book titles.

Court defines AI-generated content as 'doubtful taste' under 1950 rules

This rule bars works described as being of "doubtful taste".

Justices GR Swaminathan and MD Sumathi observed that a book with false narratives and dubious content is certainly one of "doubtful taste". They added that "AI-generated and plagiarised works also would fall within this ambit".

To ensure quality, the court directed that books by first-time authors must be scrutinized by a selection committee. These works must be evaluated against the standards expected of established authors.

Minister Rajmohan links scam to Periyar Arivulagam project

The Rs 300-crore Periyar Arivulagam project was initiated during the previous DMK regime. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay inaugurated the project on October 16, 2026, after the TVK party assumed power.

Tamil Nadu School Education Minister A Rajmohan alleged that the previous government procured low-quality books containing fabricated information exclusively from a publisher named Agal Vilakku Pathippagam. Agal Vilakku is identified as one of the publishers whose books are currently under scrutiny for the alleged irregularities.

Author Perumal Murugan's concerns trigger investigation

Author Perumal Murugan initially brought the scam to public attention through a published article. He expressed concerns regarding poor-quality books, questionable authorship, and content allegedly generated by artificial intelligence.

Although the government cancelled existing procurement orders and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption initiated an inquiry, the High Court noted no FIR was registered until its latest order. The contempt petition remains active with the next hearing scheduled for November 11.