Former Speaker Jayakumar booked for offering cash

Chennai: City Police booked AIADMK MLA D. Jayakumar under provisions of the Representation of People Act following a complaint from the election officer on Thursday. Police said Jayakumar contesting from Royapuram on AIADMK ticket had reportedly offered money for ‘arathi’ when he began his election campaign on Keniyamman Koil street in Tondiarpet, last Saturday.

A purportedly video showing the former Assembly Speaker taking out currency notes from his shirt pocket and placing them on the ‘arathi’ plate started doing rounds in the  social networking platforms. Meanwhile, Congress leader Royapuram Mano’s cousin Roop Chandran preferred a complaint with the EC. “We are in receipt of a complaint from the election official, and had registered a case based on that complaint”, said a senior police officer. When contacted,  chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni confirmed that a FIR has been lodged against the AIADMK candidate in Royapuram.

There were reports and video clips alleging that the AIADMK candidate were involved in distributing cash for those offering him ‘arathi’. The local district election officer directed to register a case for further inquiry, the CEO said.