Three arrested attempting to bribe TVK MLA; Senthilbalaji under investigation
Three individuals have been taken into custody for allegedly trying to bribe a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) legislator with ₹35 crore to vote against the Assembly Speaker. The accused are also alleged to have threatened the MLA after he rejected the proposal.
According to the Chennai Police, the investigation has indicated that the arrested men were allegedly acting at the direction of former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthilbalaji and his brother V Ashok Kumar.
The complainant, TVK MLA N Elaiyaraja, who represents the Uthangarai constituency in Krishnagiri district, approached the Chennai Police Commissioner on June 29. He alleged that he received a phone call from Thirunavukkarasu, who introduced himself as the head of a political survey organisation called Indian Political Democratic Strategies (IPDS).
The caller reportedly claimed he was reaching out on behalf of influential members of a major political party and requested a personal meeting. When the MLA declined, Thirunavukkarasu allegedly called again and referred to a proposed resolution against the Assembly Speaker. He is accused of asking Elaiyaraja to vote against the Speaker despite belonging to the ruling party and offering ₹35 crore in return.
Elaiyaraja rejected the offer and warned the caller not to contact him again. The complaint further states that the accused threatened serious consequences for the MLA and his family if the conversation was disclosed.
Based on the complaint, the Triplicane police registered a case and arrested Thirunavukkarasu from Arumbakkam. Two other suspects—Naresh from Tiruchirappalli and Thiagarajan from Medavakkam—were also arrested for their alleged involvement.
Police said subsequent inquiries revealed that Naresh had reportedly met Ashok Kumar in Chennai. Investigators are examining the alleged role of Senthilbalaji and Ashok Kumar, claiming that the phone call to the MLA was made on their instructions.
The investigation is continuing to determine whether additional individuals were involved in the alleged conspiracy.