Chennai Police have issued summons to former minister Senthil Balaji and his younger brother Ashok Kumar in a case alleging an attempt to destabilise the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. The summons direct them to appear for inquiry at the Triplicane police station on Saturday.
The case began after allegations surfaced that a man from Arumbakkam, who runs a survey firm and a YouTube channel, along with others, tried to bargain with TVK MLAs. Police say an audio linked to an alleged offer of Rs 35 crore to Uthangarai MLA Ilaiyaraja—seeking a vote against the Speaker—triggered the probe, following the MLA’s complaint to the Chennai Police Commissioner.
Triplicane police arrested five men initially, described as supporters of Senthil Balaji, and later arrested three more. During questioning, police claim they uncovered a plan involving Rs 180 crore to bring down the TVK government, and the arrested persons allegedly named Senthil Balaji and Ashok Kumar as being behind it.
Police said both men could not be reached as their mobile phones were switched off and they were believed to be absconding. On Friday, officers went to their ancestral home in Rameswarapatti village in Karur district and served the summons to their parents, warning that failure to appear could lead to arrest.
Police also issued a lookout notice to prevent the two from leaving the country. Officials said statements were recorded separately from the eight arrested persons and claimed they have collected documents to support the alleged links in the case.
