EC bribery case: AIADMK’s TTV Dinakaran sent to 5 days police custody
AIADMK leader and Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran was arrested by Delhi police Tuesday for attempting to bribe an EC official for the party symbol
New Delhi: AIADMK leader and V.K. Sasikala’s nephew, T.T.V. Dinakaran, was sent to five days in police custody on Wednesday afternoon by a Delhi court after being arrested late on Tuesday night in an EC bribery case.
Dinakaran was arrested by the Delhi police on Tuesday after four days of questioning, for allegedly attempting to bribe the Election Commission (EC) for the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (AIADMK) “two leaves" symbol. Mallikarjuna, a long-time associate of Dinakaran, who was also arrested on Tuesday night, has also been sent to police custody for five days.
ALSO READ: AIADMK’s political dilemma in Tamil Nadu leads to instability in governance
The Delhi police also arrested Sukesh Chandrashekhar, a middleman, from a hotel in Delhi on Sunday night. The arrests came amid merger attempts by the two factions of the AIADMK—one headed by Dinakaran’s aunt and “interim" general secretary V.K. Sasikala and the other by ousted Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam.
The court has given time to the Delhi police till 1 May to question Dinakaran in the matter.
ALSO READ: Sasikala banners removed from AIADMK office
Rubbishing the grounds of Dinakaran’s arrest, his senior advocate Vikas Pahwa said, “They have not justified his arrest. They questioned him for four and a half days. He has been an MP for 11 years. He has never met Sukesh Chandrashekhar. The crime branch seeks seven days’ custody to take him to Chennai, Bengaluru and Kochi. Their arguments for his police custody are bogus."
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!