EC bribery case: AIADMK's TTV Dinakaran appears before Delhi Police

Pic courtsey: ANI

New Delhi: Sidelined All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Amma) deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday appeared before the Delhi Police on his reported attempt to bribe Election Commission officials for retrieving the 'two leaves' symbol for his faction.

Dhinakaran arrived at the Crime Branch Inter State Cell office in Chanakyapuri after 3 pm.

There was heavy security outside the office and mediapersons weren't allowed to enter the premises.

The Delhi Police served the summons on Dhinakaran at his Besant Nagar residence late on Wednesday night and asked him to appear in person on Saturday in Delhi.

On Tuesday, the Delhi Police had issued a lookout notice against the leader in the wake of inputs that Dhinakaran was an NRI and could try to flee the country.

The Crime Branch had on April 16 arrested an alleged middleman, Sukesh Chandrashekhar, in New Delhi in connection with the case.

He claimed that he had told Dhinakaran that he will get a favourable verdict from the Election Commission of India in the party symbol case, he said.

Notably, the poll body has frozen the AIADMK's two leaves symbol with two factions -- one led by party general secretary VK Sasikala and the other by former chief minister O Panneerselvam -- claiming it as their own.

It has been learnt that he had allegedly struck a deal for Rs 50 crore for helping the AIADMK faction keep the 'two leaves' symbol.

Dhinakaran, the nephew of jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, is facing a revolt by an influential section of the party led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and a host of ministers, who had on Tuesday declared the ouster of the once powerful aunt-nephew duo, and extended a hand of friendship to the Panneerselvam camp.

(With Agency inputs)