Preliminary charge sheet filed against BJP functionary R K Suresh

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has submitted a preliminary chargesheet against actor R K Suresh, who is one of the accused in Aarudhra gold scam.

R K Suresh is an actor-producer and was a functionary of TN BJP's OBC wing. Earlier, a look-out notice was issued against his name and police also froze his bank accounts.

EOW sources said that Suresh came under their scanner based on information provided by suspended BJP functionary, Harish, who was one of the Directors of Aarudhra gold private limited.

Harish had told investigators that he had given money to certain functionaries of the BJP.

In April, Madras High Court refused to stay the summons issued by the EOW to RK Suresh asking him to appear before investigators for inquiry.

According to Police, the firm had collected money from over one lakh depositors between September 2020 and May 2022, promising them interests in the range of 25-30 % for their deposits and cheated to the tune of Rs 2438 crore

After investors realised that they have been cheated, hundreds of them approached the police across the state after which, in May last year, the EOW registered a case under several sections of IPC including 420 (cheating and sections of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (BUDS) act and sections of the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interests of Depositors (TNPID) act.

A total of 21 persons were booked and eight top executives of the firm including the Directors- Baskar, Mohanbabu, Senthil Kumar, Pattabiraman and managers Rafik, Ayyappan and two agents were arrested.