Rs 35 crore bribe to TVK MLA: Chennai cops arrest four more, hunt for Senthilbalaji

CHENNAI: After arresting four more people in connection with the alleged Rs 35-crore bid to lure a TVK MLA, the Greater Chennai Police are now hunting for influential DMK leader and MLA V Senthilbalaji and his brother V Ashok Kumar, who allegedly plotted the elaborate scheme to destabilise the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led government.

The arrested accused were identified as Ramesh, Srinivasan, Selvam, and one other person, said a Daily Thanthi report, adding that they are currently being questioned by the police as part of the ongoing investigation. So far, nine people have been arrested in the case.

Police claim Senthilbalaji, brother involved

The case pertains to allegations that a TVK legislator was offered Rs 35 crore to vote against Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar in what is alleged to be an indirect plot against the TVK-led Tamil Nadu government.

The investigators probing the case claimed that Naresh of Tiruchy, one of the accused arrested on July 1, admitted to meeting Ashok Kumar in Chennai and later approached the MLA based on instructions allegedly given by the brothers.

Rs 35 crore offered to TVK MLA

The matter came to light after N Ilayaraja, the TVK legislator from Uthangarai in Krishnagiri, approached the Chennai city police Commissioner on Monday (June 29) stating that he was approached by a man, identified as Thirunavukkarasu, with the offer to pay him Rs 35 crore to vote against Speaker Prabhakar.

When he refused and warned Thirunavukkarasu not to contact him again, the latter allegedly threatened him saying him and his family would face consequences if he dared to disclose the conversation to anyone.

Based on the complaint, the Triplicane police registered a case and arrested Thirunavukkarasu of Arumbakkam. Two others who allegedly worked behind the scenes, Naresh of Tiruchy and Thiagarajan of Medavakkam, were also arrested.