"The police have spread a dragnet for him. Besides searching for him at various places, they are also waiting for him at Queen Mary's College, the counting centre of votes polled in RK Nagar by-election, and at the residence of Dhinakaran. If Vetrivel turns up at any of these places today, he will immediately be arrested," sources said.



On Friday, when Vetrivel's plea, fearing arrest for releasing the 'hospital video' of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, came up for hearing before the principal sessions court judge S Subadevi, special public prosecutor Gowri Asokan opposed granting bail to Vetrivel.

She said that he had ulterior motive to release the video a day ahead of the RK Nagar by-election, in a bid to influence the voters in the constituency.

However, Vetrivel's lawyer stated that he was innocent and he had no ulterior motive for releasing the video. "He released the video for the benefit of the people and party cadres," the counsel said.

Accepting the arguments of the public prosecutor, the judge dismissed Vetrivel's plea. Soon after he released the video last week, complaints were filed against him by the Election Commission and the inquiry commission probing the death of Jayalalithaa.