EC bribery case: Court to consider charge sheet on July 25

Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry listed the case for July 25 to check whether the documents filed along with the charge sheet were complete.

It also extended till that day the judicial custody of alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who was charge sheeted by the police on July 14 and was today brought to the court from jail following a production warrant.

Delhi Police Crime Branch, in its over 700-page charge sheet alleged that Dinakaran and Chandrashekhar, who was arrested on April 16, had conspired to bribe the Election Commission (EC) officials to get the 'two leaves' symbol for their party.

The police have told the court that a supplementary final report would be filed later against other accused Dinakaran, his close aide T P Mallikarjuna, suspected hawala operators Nathu Singh and Lalit Kumar -- who are out on bail, after completing the probe against them.

It has claimed that money recovered from alleged Chandrashekhar was sent by Dinakaran through unaccounted channels with the help of other accused persons.

Chandrashekhar was charge sheeted for alleged offences under the IPC including forgery of valuable security, forgery for purpose of cheating, using forged document as genuine and possessing a forged document, intending to use it as genuine, personating a public servant and criminal conspiracy.

He was also charged with alleged offence of taking gratification by illegal means to influence public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Charge sheet named 36 witnesses to support the case.

If convicted, the offences carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The police has alleged that from the evidence collected so far, it was found that Chandrashekhar and Dinakaran were discussing the matter regarding 'two leaves' poll symbol pending before the EC.

It has said the forensic science laboratory results about the CD containing conversation of Chandrashekhar and Dinakaran and the contents of seized mobile phones, were awaited.

The report has said that investigation about the alleged involvement of ECI officials, recovered cars and the source and route of illegal channels of financial transactions was still in progress.

Chandrashekhar was arrested for allegedly taking money from Dinakaran to bribe ECI officials to get the AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol for the Sasikala faction.

According to the police, they had allegedly recovered cash worth Rs 1.3 crore from him at the time of the raid at a hotel in Chanakyapuri area of South Delhi.

Dinakaran was arrested here on the night of April 25 after four days of questioning for allegedly attempting to bribe ECI officials for the symbol. Mallikarjuna was also arrested the same day.

His faction had hoped to obtain the symbol for the by poll to the R K Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu which was later cancelled by ECI after the alleged irregularities surfaced.

The by poll was necessitated by the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who represented the constituency.

The ECI had frozen the AIADMK's symbol after the two factions of the party -- one led by Dinakaran’s aunt Sasikala and the other by former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked a claim to it.

Mallikarjuna was arrested for allegedly facilitating a Rs 50 crore deal between Dinakaran and Chandrashekhar.

Dinakaran has been accused of arranging the money from undisclosed sources and getting it transferred from Chennai to Delhi through illegal channels.