Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu treasurer SR Sekhar was interrogated on Tuesday, May 21 in connection with the seizure of Rs 4 crore allegedly belonging to the party’s Tirunelveli Lok Sabha candidate and sitting MLA Nainar Nagendran. The Election Commission’s flying squad had apprehended three persons at the Tambaram Railway Station carrying seven bags and suitcases of cash worth Rs 4 crore on April 7.
According to reports, officials from the Crime Branch- Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) began questioning the BJP functionary at 8 am on Tuesday, which lasted for three hours. Earlier, the CB-CID had summoned Sekhar along with the party’s organising secretary Kesava Vinayagam and the party’s cadre Neelamurali for an inquiry. However, Sekhar had sought time until June 1 by stating that he had to travel for election-related party work.
Speaking to The Hindu, Sekhar claimed that the money recovered by the flying squad was not the BJP’s party money and added that they have approached the court. He also alleged that the CB-CID asked him unrelated questions due to pressure from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government.
According to police sources, the person who was caught with the cash was identified as Satish, and works as the manager of the Blue Diamond Hotel in Chennai. Satish is also reported to be a BJP member, and is related to Nagendran. Satish and his two other accomplices, Naveen and Perumal, were caught on the train with the cash.
Based on their confessions, a few other places were also searched by the police and the Income Tax department was also alerted. However, the source of the cash recovered among other details are yet to be disclosed to the media.