CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former DMK minister V Senthilbalaji and his brother RV Ashok Kumar in the alleged Rs 35-crore horse-trading case, directing them to appear before the Triplicane police station twice a day and cooperate with the investigation.
When the petitions came up for hearing, senior counsel NR Elango, appearing for Senthilbalaji, submitted that Thirunavukarasu had allegedly offered Rs 35 crore to a TVK MLA to vote against the Speaker in the proposed no-confidence motion, but the complainant refused. He argued that the case was based only on a presumption that Senthilbalaji intended to topple the government and pointed out that no one had objected to the Speaker's appointment and submitted that no money had been transacted.
He further contended that the allegations were made to prevent Senthilbalaji from carrying out party work ahead of the Karur byelection and assured the court that he would cooperate with the investigation.
Senior counsel P Kumaresan, appearing for Ashok, submitted that whenever a criminal case is registered against his brother Senthilbalaji, Ashok is also made an accused in the case.
Opposing the pleas, public prosecutor John Sathyan submitted that the complainant was offered Rs 35 crore as part of a conspiracy to destabilise the TVK government. He said the five arrested accused stayed at a hotel in Guindy for three days to hatch the conspiracy and that Thirunavukarasu admitted to calling the complainant.
He further submitted that hotel manager Lakshmanaperumal left the country soon after the complaint was lodged. The prosecution claimed to have concrete materials linking the petitioners to the case and said the investigation extended to Bengaluru, involved suspected hawala money, and argued that the probe was still at a nascent stage.
The case arose from a complaint lodged by TVK MLA N Elaiyaraja, alleging that Thirunavukkarasu offered him Rs 35 crore to vote against the Speaker, and when he refused, Thirunavukkarasu threatened him and his family against disclosing the conversation.