AMMK leader TTV Dinakaran has been asked to appear before ED in Delhi on April 8
new Delhi:
Probe agency Enforcement Directorate or ED this week questioned AMMK leader TTV Dinakaran in a money laundering case related to allegedly bribing Election Commission officials to get AIADMK’s ‘two leaves’ election symbol for the VK Sasikala faction. summoned. Officials gave this information on Wednesday.
The agency has taken this step after recently arresting the jailed ‘man’ and another accused in the case, Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
Both Mr. Dinakaran and Sukesh Chandrasekhar were arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police in 2017.
Officials said they have recorded Sukesh Chandrashekhar’s statement in the case earlier this month and now they want to question Dhinakaran to take the probe forward.
He said the 58-year-old AMMK general secretary has been asked to appear before the agency in Delhi on April 8.
After giving his statement, his statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Sukesh Chandrashekhar was arrested by the Delhi Police in April 2017 from a five-star hotel for allegedly taking money from Mr. Dinakaran by bribing Election Commission officials for the VK Sasikala faction in the RK’s by-election. The choice of ‘two leaves’ was to get the symbol. Municipal Assembly seat of Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Dinakaran, who was accused by the police, was also arrested by the Delhi Police after four days of questioning for attempting to bribe Election Commission officials for election symbols.
The by-election had to be held due to the death of J Jayalalithaa, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who represented the assembly seat.
The Election Commission had banned the AIADMK symbol after two factions – one led by Mr. Dinakaran’s aunt Sasikala and the other led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam – claimed it.
Mallikarjuna, a close aide of Mr. Dinakaran, was also arrested for allegedly facilitating a Rs 50-crore deal between him and Sukesh Chandrasekhar.
Mr. Dinakaran was the treasurer of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and was expelled from the party in August 2017 along with Sasikala, a confidant of Jayalalithaa.
Later she started her own political party named Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK).
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)