Books without authors, authors without books: Inside Tamil Nadu’s alleged library scam

Tamil Nadu’s anti-corruption investigators have launched an inquiry into an alleged library procurement scam involving books purportedly written by nonexistent authors and at least one researcher who denied involvement, according to A Rajmohan, the Tamil Nadu Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity. Approximately 3,000 books in Coimbatore are believed to be part of the alleged scheme, while 523 were discovered at Chennai’s Connemara Library, Rajmohan stated.

The investigation began the day after the department filed a complaint, he explained. The controversy centers around novelist Perumal Murugan’s claims of purchasing expensive and error-ridden books for Coimbatore’s Periyar Arivulagam, a new public library inaugurated by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on October 16. Murugan, who served on a committee recommending books on modern literature and literary criticism for new libraries, accused the procurement process of being riddled with irregularities.

Rajmohan alleged a prolonged network using artificial intelligence to deceive the system by shifting author identities and employing multiple publishing names to distribute books across Tamil Nadu. The investigation uncovered stamps, dates, and a book listing several entities involved in its production and distribution, with names such as ‘Agalvilakku’, ‘Sigma’, and ‘Phoenix’ appearing on the front and cover design.

The minister also pointed to a case of borrowed authorship, stating that renowned economist Jean Dreze denied writing the book “Democracy and People’s Right in the Contemporary World,” which entered Madurai’s Kalaignar Centenary Library in 2023. Rajmohan cited a June 25, 2023, reference for this discrepancy.

The investigation revealed that the 523 books received by Connemara Library in 2025 came in multiple batches, with the first arriving on January 3. Names attributed to authors included Nivedha Paulraj, Nivedha Anbazhagan, Nivedha Mohan, “Sachin,” Pavithra Karunanidhi, Pounambal Karunanidhi, Kamalambal Karunanidhi, “Sachin,” “Vijay Balu,” “Vijay Pal,” “Vijay Adithan,” “Surya Pal,” “Kokila Varadhan,” “Diyashini Varadhan,” “Harini,” and “Trisha Vijay.”

Rajmohan maintained that these fictitious names do not automatically indicate wrongdoing, emphasizing that the ongoing inquiry will determine how the purchase orders were obtained. He also noted that purchase orders for Tiruchi’s Kamarajar Library had been canceled, and additional measures were being taken to ensure transparent book procurement by December through a proposed committee of writers, publishers, educationists, and retired officials. The Tamil Nadu government reportedly did not purchase any of the disputed books.