The Enforcement Directorate has summoned AMMK leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran on April 8 for recording his statement in connection with the alleged attempt to bribe an Election Commission official in a conspiracy with “conman” Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is in the agency’s custody in connection with the same matter.
The ED probe is based on a case registered by the Delhi police, alleging that there had been a conspiracy to bribe an EC official to secure the AIADMK’s election symbol for Mr. Dhinakaran’s faction ahead of the R. K. Nagar Assembly bypoll in Chennai in April 2017. Following reports that huge sums of cash had been distributed to win over voters, the Commission had countermanded the byelection.
In the same month, the police had arrested Mr. Dhinakaran, Sukesh and two others. On the basis of the findings, the ED is pursuing the money trail. As alleged, Mr. Dhinakaran had paid ₹10 crore to the “conman” as the first instalment.
While in judicial custody, Sukesh Chandrasekhar had allegedly been running a cheating and extortion racket from behind bars, using mobile phones and caller ID spoofing apps. In one case, he allegedly cheated the wife of former Ranbaxy promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh. Based on her complaint, the Delhi police arrested him and some of his associates. His wife, Leena Maria Paul, was also arrested.
With respect to the cheating case, the ED launched a money laundering probe and seized a sea-side bungalow in Chennai and 16 luxury cars, besides two kg of gold, allegedly belonging to Sukesh.
