Rs 3.98 crore cash seized from three suspected supporters of BJP candidate in TN

CHENNAI: BJP’s Tirunelveli candidate Nainar Nagendran may be in trouble following seizure of Rs 3.98 crore cash which was allegedly meant for bribing voters in Tirunelveli Lok Sabha constituency.

Election officials seized the cash from three passengers who were on board Chennai-Tirunelveli Nellai Express at Tambaram railway station on Saturday night. The passengers were reportedly linked to the BJP candidate.

The office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said the Income Tax department will launch a detailed investigation into the matter.

This is the single largest seizure of unaccounted cash in Tamil Nadu after the Model Code of Conduct came into force.

Meanwhile, the ruling DMK in the state took up the matter with the CEO, seeking action against Nagendran. The DMK alleged that Nagendran planned to distribute money to voters.

“We suspect that Mr Nainar Nagendran stored several crores of money in secret places to distribute to voters,” DMK Organisation Secretary RS Bharathi said in a complaint to TN CEO, Satyabrata Sahoo. The party demanded that searches be conducted at all places belonging to Nagendran. Later, Nagendran claimed he had nothing to do with the money that was seized. Speaking to a Tamil TV channel in Tirunelveli on the matter, the BJP leader alleged that it was a “bid to malign my reputation.”

Official sources said the first accused in the case, who could not account for the money, gave a statement to Election Commission’s flying squad team claiming the money was meant for distribution to voters in the Tirunelveli Lok Sabha constituency of the BJP candidate Nagendran.

The officials acted on a specific tip-off about the movement of cash in Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Nellai Superfast Express.

Upon checking the baggage of three suspected passengers in an AC two-tier coach, numerous wads of Rs 500 denomination currency noted were found stacked. The accused passengers — S Satish, 33, S Naveen of Agaram in Chennai and S Perumal of Srivaikundam in Thoothukudi district — were detrained and taken to the Tambaram police station where election officials quizzed them on the source of the money and its destination.

Satish told investigators that he was working in a hotel owned by Nagendran on the EVR Salai in Purasa. He gave a statement that the money was meant for distribution to voters in Tirunelveli.

The money with another accused Perumal was given by Asaithambi of Triplicane and was also meant for distribution to voters.

The Tambaram police arrested the accused under Section 171(C) (Undue influence at elections), 171 (E) (Punishment for bribery), 171(F) (Punishment for undue influence in election and personation at an election) and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC.

The accused were produced before a Judicial Magistrate and subsequently let out on bail.