Rs 3.99 crore ‘poll bribe’ seizure: No relief, Nainar Nagendran’s aides asked to appear for CB-CID probe

CHENNAI: Dismissing their plea to quash the summons issued against them by the CB-CID, the Madras High Court directed the three persons arrested with Rs 3.99 crore from an express train at Tambaram station to appear before the department for investigation.

The seizure on April 6, less than two weeks ahead of Lok Sabha election polling in Tamil Nadu, had triggered a political storm after it emerged that the arrested persons were allegedly linked to Nainar Nagendran, the BJP's Tirunelveli candidate and vice-president of the party's state unit.

S Sathish (33) and his brother S Navin (31) of Chennai, and S Perumal (26) of Srivaikuntam in Thoothukudi had moved the high court seeking to quash the summons asking them to appear for investigation.

Justice G Jayachandran while denying them relief noted that quashing the summons may affect the investigation and directed the accused to appear before the CB-CID for enquiry.

Meanwhile, the counsel representing the trio had submitted that the summons issued against them did not follow the due process of law and sought to quash it. In response, the CB-CID submitted that the summons was in line with the law and added that quashing it may hamper the investigation.

On April 6, the railway police posted at Tambaram station had nabbed Sathish, Navin and Perumal, who were travelling on the Tirunelveli Express with Rs 3.99 crore without any document explaining the source of the cash.

The Tambaram police registered a case against them. Later the case was transferred to CB-CID, Chennai.

The suspects allegedly told the police that the money was meant to be distributed to the voters in Tirunelveli constituency on behalf of Nainar Nagendran. The accused were arrested and later granted bail.

Meanwhile, BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit organising secretary Kesava Vinayagam appeared before the CB-CID today for investigation, as directed by the court.