TTV Dinakaran, the sidelined Deputy General Secretary of AIADMK, on Monday admitted that he knew Sukesh Chandrashekhar, the man arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for his alleged attempt to bribe the Election Commission of India (ECI) officials.
Dinakaran who earlier was repeatedly denying to have known the accused Sukesh, has been charged with criminal conspiracy for offering bribe to EC officials for retaining the two leaves symbol of AIADMK.
Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) rank officer along with two Assistant Commissioner of Police rank officers. Shibesh Singh, the DCP Crime, is heading the SIT.
Dinakaran who was summoned for questioning for the third consecutive day at the Chanakyapuri office of the Delhi Police Crime Branch, has been steadfastly denying his involvement about the bribery charges, finally admitted on Monday that he had met Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
The police sources said that on Monday afternoon, TTV Dinakaran came for questioning at around 3 pm. It was only when the police played out a CD of their call recordings that Dinakaran broke down and confessed that he knew Chandrashekhar. On Sunday as well as Monday, Dinakaran was questioned for seven and five hours respectively. His questioning is expected for continue for two more days, the sources said.
“During the questioning which was carried on Monday, the team played out the audio of the call recordings exchanged between Dinakaran and Sukesh Chandrashekhar, his alleged middleman through a CD,” the police sources said. The police sources added that so far they have questioned 15 people related to the case.
Another senior police officer privy to the investigation said that the wife of Sukesh Chandrashekhar, leena Maria Paul was also called for questioning. She is one among the 15 people who was questioned
During the five hour long questioning session, “Dinakaran confessed that he met Sukesh Chandrashekhar for the first time when the latter introduced himself as a High Court Judge. Impressed that Chandrashekhar held an important position, the duo remained in touch. Apart from that, TTV Dinakaran also allegedly said that the last time they met, it was in March in Chennai during an event,” the sources said.
According to the police, the development comes two days after Dinakaran and Sukesh Chandrashekhar were repeatedly confronted and made counter claims on “several meetings”. The police sources said that they are likely to continue Dinakaran’s questioning and will seek extension of Sukesh’s
custody.
Although police sources said that they have gathered sufficient evidence against Dinakaran to prove his role in the bribery case of promising to pay Rs 50 crore, the sources denied to divulge the exact day when Dinkaran will be arrested. The sources added that they will add the Section 120 B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC in the case.