2 min readUpdated: May 13, 2026 02:05 PM IST
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Wednesday removed astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel from the post of Officer on Special Duty (OSD). CM Vijay issued the order moments after he won the floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly with 144 votes.
Vetriviel’s appointment as the Chief Minister’s OSD had caused a huge row.
Hailing from Erode, the astrologer was once among the prominent advisers consulted by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. However, their association reportedly came to an end after one of his major predictions did not materialise.
Vetrivel had allegedly assured Jayalalithaa that she would not face imprisonment in the disproportionate assets case. But after she was sentenced to jail in September 2014 following the court verdict, the relationship reportedly broke down. Sources familiar with the developments said Jayalalithaa discontinued consultations with him, after which Vetrivel relocated to Singapore.
It was during this period that he reshaped his public identity. Taking on the name “Radhan Pandit Vetrivel”, which carried a stronger North Indian association, he sought to expand his reach and connect with a wider Indian diaspora audience. Though a Tamil native from Erode with a residence in Chennai, he spent time in Singapore before later moving to Delhi. Vetrivel’s associates say the shift was influenced both by astrological reasons and a desire to establish broader recognition.
Sources earlier told The Indian Express Vetrivel entered Vijay’s political network after being introduced through an intermediary following his return from Delhi in 2008. His role within the actor’s evolving political setup soon became noticeable. He is said to have advised Vijay to contest from a constituency starting with the letter “V”, a detail earlier reported by The Indian Express. Ahead of the elections he projected a meteoric rise for Vijay in Tamil Nadu politics.
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