Dhinakaran questioned in EC official bribery case

AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran was questioned on Saturday by Delhi Police in connection with the case of attempting to bribe Election Commission officials for the 'Two Leaves' symbol.

Dhinakaran, who was served a summons earlier, reached Delhi this noon and went to the Crime Branch Inter State Cell office in Chanakyapuri at around 3 PM where he was questioned.

The Inter State Cell was out of bounds for media persons and there was heavy security at the premises.

Dhinakaran's name cropped up in the case following the arrest of 27-year-old Bengalurean Sukesh Chandrashekhar from a five-star hotel here on April 16 with Rs 1.30 crore, which is suspected to have reached Delhi through hawala channel.

Sources said the investigators would look into his phone records to ascertain the details about his purported conversations with Sukesh and others.

The registration of the case against Dhinakaran precipitated merger talks between O Paneerselvam-led AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) and AIADMK (Amma) led by V K Sasikala, who is in jail after her conviction in a disproportionate assets case. The AIADMK (Amma) has indicated that they would keep both Sasikala and her nephew Dhinakaran out of the party.

Dhinakaran's trouble had increased soon after the Election Commission cancelled the bypolls to R K Nagar Assembly constituency, which was necessitated by the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, where the Sasikala faction is accused of bribing voters. Dhinakaran was the candidate there.

With two factions claiming that they are the original party, the EC last month froze the AIADMK symbol 'Two Leaves'.

According to the FIR, Sukesh has "promised" Dinakaran that he would use his "influence" to settle the symbol issue in his faction's favour. They had struck a deal of Rs 50 crore and around Rs 10 crore was transferred through hawala channel. Investigators believe that the money reached Chandni Chowk from Kochi.

It claimed Sukesh was "falsely impersonating" as an MP by using Mercedez Benz with MP painted on the front and rear registration plates and "in conspiracy" with Dhinakaran, he was trying to "obtain a favourable" order in Election Commission on the pending petition for Two Leaves symbol.