Former DMK minister and Coimbatore South MLA Senthil Balaji did not appear before Chennai’s Triplicane police on Monday, despite being served a summons in a case linked to alleged attempts to lure Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLAs and destabilise Chief Minister Vijay’s government.
The case stems from a complaint filed on June 29 by Uthangarai TVK MLA Ilaiyaraja (46). He alleged that a man identified as Thirunavukkarasu, from Arumbakkam in Chennai, repeatedly contacted him and offered a large sum of money to vote against the Speaker in a proposed no-confidence motion, contrary to the party whip. The complainant also alleged he was threatened with harm if he revealed the conversation.
Triplicane police registered a case under four sections and arrested nine people, including Thirunavukkarasu. During follow-up inquiries, police said they found indications that negotiations involved a total of Rs 180 crore to “buy” TVK MLAs and bring down the government.
Police said Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok Kumar were identified as key figures in the alleged plot. Special teams have been formed to trace them, and a nationwide lookout notice has been issued to prevent them from leaving the country.
Investigators served the summons to their parents at the family’s native home near Karur, directing both men to appear at Triplicane police station at 10.30 am on July 6. Police officials said two more summonses would be issued, and if they still fail to appear, they would seek arrest warrants from a court.
In a related development, police seized Rs 37 lakh from Krishna, the driver of Thirunavukkarasu, who was arrested in Madurai, and are probing the source of the money. Meanwhile, five of the eight accused arrested for the alleged “horse-trading” have moved the Chennai Principal Sessions Court seeking bail.
