TN suspends IAS officer for fake SC certificate

Senior Indian Administrative Service Officer C Umashankar has been suspended by the Tamil Nadu government on the charge of producing a false community certificate to claim Scheduled Caste quota during his civil services selection.

A 1990-batch officer, Umashankar, who was director of Small Savings, has been replaced by A C Mohandoss on Wednesday consequent to the suspension, official sources said.

The central government and the Union Public Service Commission had been informed about the suspension, they said.

Umashankar was a Dalit Christian and not entitled for SC quota, the sources said, adding an inquiry had been ordered.

Umashankar, as the chairman of the Arasu Cable TV Corporation, set up by the state government in 2008 to run cable TV business, had recommended nationalisation of Maran brothers owned Sumangali Cable Vision, alleging that the company was sabotaging Arasu Cable TV network.

He is facing charges of accumulating disproportionate wealth. But on a petition by him, the Madras high court has last month stayed the probe by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

He had also claimed disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him to deny him promotion as joint secretary to Union government after he submitted the proposal to nationalise Sumangali Cable Vision.

Umashankar had also exposed irregularities in the construction of cremation sheds in Madurai District when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was in power. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, after assuming office in 1996, registered a case against AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and the then local administration minister T M Selvaganpathy, now a DMK Rajya Sabha member.

However, both were acquitted by the Madras high court.