Delhi Police to Confront Dhinakaran with Middleman in Chennai

Dhinakaran is being probed for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official through a middleman.

AIADMK (Amma) leader Dhinakaran. (Photo: PTI)

AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran was Thursday afternoon brought to Chennai by Delhi police, two days after he was arrested by them for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official.

The police team probing the case brought Dhinakaran and his friend Mallikarjuna by flight to Chennai from the national capital a little after 1 PM.

Dhinakaran's supporters Pugazhenthi and Nanchil Sambath were at the airport when Dhinakaran arrived.

Delhi police has secured warrants from a Delhi court to search Dhinakaran and Mallikarjuna’s Chennai residences as part of its probe. The team will also be confronting the duo along with the arrested middleman, Sukesh Chandrasekar, to get the details of the money trail and the phone conversations between them.

Dhinakaran was arrested on Tuesday night following four days of questioning for allegedly attempting to bribe an unidentified EC official to get the undivided AIADMK's 'two leaves' election symbol for his faction.

Police had earlier said Chandrasekar had struck a deal for Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK (Amma) faction keep the 'two leaves' symbol.

Chandrasekar allegedly had Rs 1.30 crore in cash in his possession when he was arrested from a five-star hotel in Delhi on April 16.

Dhinakaran was arrested for allegedly arranging the amount from undisclosed sources and getting it transferred from Chennai to Delhi through illegal channels.

Mallikarjuna was arrested for purportedly helping Dhinakaran transfer this money from Chennai to Delhi, police had said.

Police are verifying whether Chandrasekar had approached any EC official for getting a favourable verdict for Dhinakaran's faction.

Dhinakaran, who was appointed deputy general secretary by jailed AIADMK chief VK Sasikala, had earlier faced a revolt by some of the ministers, even as efforts are on for the merger of the rival factions led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his predecessor O Panneerselvam.