Chennai police are investigating a case in which a bargain of ₹35 crore was allegedly offered to Taveka MLA Ilaiyaraja to vote against the Speaker. The complaint was filed by the MLA at the Triplicane police station in Chennai.
Police registered a case and arrested 11 people. During questioning, investigators said they found indications of links to former DMK minister Senthil Balaji and his brother Ashok Kumar, following which summons and a lookout notice were issued to them.
Senthil Balaji and Ashok Kumar approached the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The court granted relief with conditions, including signing before the investigating officer twice a day—morning and evening.
However, the two did not appear before the investigating officer, according to the report. Senthil Balaji is said to have sent a letter to Triplicane police stating that his name was not in the FIR and questioning why he should appear, while also seeking assurance that he would not be arrested in another case if he did attend.
Meanwhile, police said several lakhs of rupees were seized from those arrested in the bribery case. Citing the seizure, Enforcement Directorate officials have obtained case records from Triplicane police to examine whether illegal money transfers occurred in the background involving Senthil Balaji and Ashok Kumar, and have started their probe.
