Eight Arrested in Bribery Plot to Sway Tamil Nadu Assembly Vote
Police have arrested five more individuals in connection with an alleged attempt to bribe a TVK MLA to vote against the Speaker during a planned no-confidence motion. This brings the total number of arrests to eight.
The five arrested on Thursday were identified as Selvan (54), Srinivasan (46), Rajesh (43), Ramesh (45), and Karthik (43). According to police, Karthik is a close associate of former minister and DMK MLA V. Senthilbalaji. All five were produced before the Principal Sessions Court and remanded in judicial custody.
The remand proceedings were delayed by nearly six hours as the court scrutinised additional documents submitted by the investigating officers. Police sources said the delay was due to an additional memorandum naming Mr. Senthilbalaji and his brother V. Ashok Kumar. The court examined legal provisions before deciding on the remand request.
On Wednesday, police arrested Thirunavukkarasu, Naresh, and Thiyagarajan based on a complaint by Uthangarai MLA N. Elayaraja. The complainant alleged that Thirunavukkarasu, claiming to head a polling organisation named Indian Political Democratic Strategies, contacted him on behalf of a major political party and offered up to ₹35 crore for cooperation during the no-confidence motion against the Speaker. When he declined, Thirunavukkarasu threatened him and his family with dire consequences if he disclosed the conversation.
Investigations revealed that Ashok Kumar met Naresh in Chennai, and that Thirunavukkarasu contacted the MLA as per instructions from Senthilbalaji and Ashok Kumar. The probe also found that Karthik and Ramesh held talks with Naresh at star hotels on ECR. Naresh then invited Srinivasan, Selvan, and Rajesh to a star hotel in Guindy through Thiyagarajan, where they conspired to seek the MLA's cooperation.
Police have decided to question Mr. Senthilbalaji and his brother regarding their alleged involvement. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether other MLAs were approached similarly.
