EC bribery case: AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran sent to five-day police custody

New Delhi: AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dinakaran, arrested on Tuesday night in connection with an Election Commission bribery case, was on Wednesday remanded to five-day police custody by a city court.

Delhi: TTV Dinakaran produced in Tis Hazari court in Two leaves alleged bribery case pic.twitter.com/ZEJjlBNZyS

— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2017

Special Judge Poonam Chaudhary, who heard arguments on behalf of police and the defence counsel on the issue of permitting custodial interrogation, allowed Delhi Police to quiz Dinakaran in its custody till May one.

TTV Dinakaran was arrested on charges of attempting to bribe EC officials to get favorable order in petition for 'Two leaves': DCP(Crime) pic.twitter.com/ehiHWCfahX

— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2017

Mallikarjuna, a long time friend of Dinakaran who was also arrested last night, has also been remanded to police custody for five days.

The proceedings, which lasted 45 minutes, were not open to media-persons, who were asked to leave the courtroom after the accused were brought in.

According to information gathered from lawyers who were inside the court, the police had sought seven-day custodial interrogation of Dinakaran and Mallikarjuna.

Police said the accused were required to be taken out of Delhi and confronted with co-accused Sukesh Chandrasekhar, also in custody, the lawyers associated with the case told PTI.

The plea for custodial interrogation was vehmently opposed by senior lawyer Vikas Pahwa, representing Dinakaran, saying the accused has been joining investigation for the last four days and the police has not produced any material as to why his grilling in custody was needed.

Dinakaran was produced in the court amid high security cover, with the police cordoning off the gallery outside the court room.

Dinakaran was arrested by the police yesterday after four days of questioning for allegedly attempting to bribe an Election Commission official to get the undivided AIADMK’s ’two leaves’ election symbol for his faction.

Mallikarjuna, who had been accompanying Dinakaran everywhere ever since Chandrasekar’s arrest on 16 April, was also arrested for allegedly facilitating the deal between the leader and Sukesh Chandrasekar, the middleman in the case.