EC bribery case: Hawala operator who helped Dhinakaran's middleman held

Chennai: The Delhi Police on Friday arrested Hawala operator Naresh Jain in connection with the TTV Dhinakaran bribery case.

It's alleged that Jain helped middleman Sukesh Chandrashekhar in money transfer. Jain was arrested from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

One more person has been detained in connection with the case.

Dhinakaran's house was searched yesterday and his wife was interrogated, Joint Commissioner of Police, Delhi confirmed to ANI.

Dhinakaran had through middleman Chandrashekhar, sought the 'Two Leaves' symbol of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) by allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official.

The Crime Branch recovered approximately Rs. 1.3 crore and two luxury cars, a BMW and a Mercedes, from Chandrashekhar.

Chandrasekhar was picked up from the Hyatt hotel and was produced at the residence of Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry, who allowed the Delhi Police's plea to interrogate the accused for eight days.

Dhinakaran was cross examined along with his 'friend' Mallikarjuna and P.A. Janardhanan, sources stated.

During his third day of interrogation by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, Dhinakaran finally accepted that he met Chandrashekhar, the man alleged to be the middleman in his bribery dealing with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Dhinakaran, sources say, initially refused to have known Sukesh. He later accepted meeting him when Sukesh himself gave the details of his meeting with the former.

However, Dhinakaran maintained that he did not pay any money to Sukesh.

Following this, the Delhi Police Crime Branch team visited Chennai, even as a Delhi Court granted five-day police custody to Dhinakaran.

Dhinakaran had earlier moved a bail application in a Delhi Court. He was produced before the Tis Hazari Court here.