As part of an expanding investigation into the procurement of potentially fake and AI-generated books, authorities have removed 7,995 volumes from District Central Libraries in several districts of Tamil Nadu, [according to The Hindu].
The removal, which took place on Friday, targeted books published by Agal Vilakku Pathippagam and Phoenix Publishing House. The action follows allegations that these publishers supplied libraries with books containing false information, questionable authorship, and content suspected of being generated by artificial intelligence.
The books were pulled from the racks of District Central Libraries in the [Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, and Tiruvannamalai] districts. In Tiruvannamalai, District Library Officer S. Valli told The Hindu that the identified books were separated from other collections and placed in a separate room, noting they were originally intended for distribution to branch libraries for the 2025-26 period.
The volume of removed books varied by district: * Ranipet: 2,401 books * Tirupattur: 2,401 books * Tiruvannamalai: 2,209 books * Vellore: 984 books
The controversy was initially sparked by acclaimed Tamil novelist Perumal Murugan, who served on a committee recommending titles for the Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore. After visiting the newly inaugurated facility, Murugan flagged serious discrepancies, including [overpriced books, factual errors, and titles attributed to unfamiliar or fictitious authors].
Murugan reported that nearly 1,800 books in the library’s Tamil section were supplied by Agal Vilakku Pathippagam. He highlighted issues such as questionable International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) and unusually high prices, such as a 300-page book titled Naladiyar Vaazhvin Vazhikatti priced at 1,445 rupees, [according to BBC News].
The Director of Public Libraries informed the Madras High Court that 1,700 titles from Agal Vilakku were procured for the Periyar Arivulagam library at a cost of Rs 17 lakh, [according to LawChakra].
The Madras High Court has since ordered the state’s anti-corruption agency, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), to investigate the purchases. The court has also ordered the freezing of three bank accounts linked to the matter, which hold a reported balance of approximately Rs 22 lakh, [according to NDTV].
The scandal has ignited a political row between the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
School Education Minister A Rajmohan, representing the current administration, has described the situation as potentially “India’s first AI scam” and blamed the previous DMK-led administration for the procurement, [according to BBC News]. The DMK has rejected these claims as politically motivated and has called for an investigation into the purchases.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay also criticized the previous government, alleging that the DMK had engaged in corruption regarding the purchase of books for the Periyar Arivulagam library, [according to Big News Network.com].
During court proceedings, Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court expressed disappointment that no culprits had been identified. The court has called for a detailed affidavit from the state regarding the matter, [according to LawChakra].