Cash recovered from trio belonged to BJP candidate Nainar Nagendran: Tamil Nadu police

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Police has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against three persons in connection with the seizure of Rs 4 crore in cash from the relative of a BJP candidate from Tirunelveli constituency. The incident occurred on April 6 on a train bound for southern Tamil Nadu.

The Tambaram police have named Sathish, Tirunelveli BJP candidate Nainar Nagendran’s relative and a BJP worker who also works in a hotel managed by him, Perumal, and Naveen in the FIR which says a search team went to the A1 coach of Nellai Express bound for Tirunelveli on April 6 based on an input that they were carrying a large sum of cash. 

“We took the trio to the Tambaram police station and found Rs 3.98 crore from the suitcases which they were carrying. Sathish, during interrogation, said the money was handed over to them by one Jaishankar. He said it was meant to be distributed among voters in Tirunelveli,” the FIR reads. 

The document also said the police recovered a photocopy of Nainar’s government identity card from Sathish. Immediately after the seizure, Nagendran, a former AIADMK leader and incumbent MLA from Tirunelveli, denied any links with the seizure.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo had said the seizure will now be investigated by the Income Tax department as the seized amount is more than Rs 10 lakh. 

"All information related to the seizure has been sent to the Income Tax Department. Following this, the the I-T department will conduct a detailed investigation into the matter,” he said.