THENI/CHENNAI : A case was registered against 154 AMMK cadre and four men, including a party functionary, were arrested following a search carried out in a building in Andipatti in the district. 

Officials said that unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 1.48 crore was seized during the search carried out by police and flying squad personnel on the premises that belonged to an AMMK functionary.  The building houses the party office in the ground floor. The search that began on Tuesday night ended at 5.30 am on Wednesday. 

“The cash was neatly packed in 94 envelops, and ward number, number of voters and the amount ‘Rs 300 per voter’ were written on the envelop,” they said, adding that all the wards are within Andipatti assembly segment which is heading for bypoll on Friday. A person present on the premises during the search told the officials that Rs 2 crore in cash was brought there on April 16 for distributing to the voters in Andipatti panchayat union. 

When the officials reached the spot, a group of party workers, allegedly, overpowered the flying squad personnel standing guard outside the premises, broke open the door and snatched some cash packets. Inspector Balaguru and police jeep driver Nagaraj sustained minor injuries in the attack.When the situation turned worst, police fired in the air following the order of District Revenue Officer S Kandasamy. Dropping some packets, the miscreants fled with a few cash packets. All the remaining cash found in 94 bundles was seized along with the envelopes.

A postal ballot paper for Andipatti assembly by-election which was already marked for AMMK candidate was also found on the premises. It was also seized. Police also had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse a group of people who assembled in front of the building in protest.  SP V Baskaran, Inspector General of Police (south zone) KP Shunmuga Rajeswaran, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dindigul Range K Joshi Nirmal Kumar,  inspected the spot. 

Meanwhile, AMMK leader and independent candidate Thanga Tamilselvan told media that the incident that happened on the rented premises was a well-planned conspiracy.  He claimed that the income tax officials had created an approver against them purposefully. “Filing false cases against 150 cadre of AMMK apart, they are planning to arrest more persons when they are in the polling booths,” he said.