The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran this week for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged bribing of Election Commission officials to get the AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol for the VK Sasikala faction of the party.
The move comes after the agency recently arrested jailed 'conman' and another accused in this case, Sukesh Chandrashekhar.
Both Dhinakaran and Chandrashekhar were arrested by the Delhi Police crime branch in 2017.
The agency recorded the statement of Chandrashekhar in this case early this month and now the officials want to question Dhinakaran to take the probe forward, officials said.
Dhinakaran, 58, is general secretary of AMMK. He has been asked to depose before the agency here on Friday, they said, adding his statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) once he deposes.
Chandrashekar was arrested in April 2017 from a five star hotel by the Delhi Police for allegedly taking money from Dhinakaran to bribe EC officials to get the AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol for the VK Sasikala faction in a by-election to the R K Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu.
Dhinakaran, who was chargesheeted by the police, was also arrested by the Delhi Police after four days of questioning for allegedly attempting to bribe EC officials for the party symbol.
The bypoll was held following the death of the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who represented the Assembly constituency.
The EC had frozen the AIADMK's symbol after the two factions -- one led by Dhinakaran's aunt Sasikala and the other by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam -- staked a claim to it.
Earlier, Dhinakaran's close aide Mallikarjuna was also arrested for allegedly facilitating a Rs 50 crore deal between him and Chandrashekar.
Dhinakaran was the treasurer of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and was expelled from the party in August 2017 along with Jayalalithaa's confidante Sasikala.
He later launched his political party styled as the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK).