Election Commission bribery case: Court asks why no action against Dinakaran

Special Judge Poonam Chaudhary asked the question when the police produced in court alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, arrested for allegedly striking a deal of Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK (Amma) faction keep the 'two leaves' poll symbol.

Chandrashekhar's police custody of eight days, which expired today, was also extended till April 28 by the court.

"What is the position of the main accused ... What action has been taken against Dinakaran. Why are you not taking action against him? The whole allegations are against him," the judge asked the police's Crime Branch.

During the proceedings, the police sought five-day custody of Chandrasekhar saying it has to confront him with some Hawala operators and has to take him outside Delhi.

The court, however, extended his police custody by three days.

The counsel appearing for Chandrasekhar opposed the police's plea to extend the custody, saying the allegation in the FIR was that Chandrasekhar had conspired with Dinakaran, who has not yet been arrested.

Dinakaran, who was yesterday grilled by the police for almost seven hours, had confessed to meeting Chandrasekhar, but said he did not pay any money to Sukesh to retain the symbol.

The case pertains to an alleged attempt to bribe an Election Commission (EC) official by AIADMK (Amma) leader Dinakaran to try to get the party's poll symbol of 'two leaves' for a by-election to the R K Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu. The polling was later cancelled by the EC.

Chandrashekar was arrested on April 16 after which an FIR was lodged. According to the police, his links with EC officials was being probed.

Chandrashekar had struck a deal for Rs 50 crore to help the AIADMK faction to keep the symbol, the police alleged, adding that Rs 1.3 crore and two luxury cars, a BMW and a Mercedes, were recovered from him.

The EC had frozen AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol after two factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim to it.