The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against a senior bank official and two others, including a functionary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, in connection with the seizure of ₹11.48 crore by the Income Tax Department in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Vellore.
Searches were conducted on the premises of the trio and investigators seized certain documents relating to the case, sources in the agency said on Thursday.
A couple of days ago, the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch registered a case against Dayanidhi, the then senior manager, Canara Bank, Vellore, DMK functionary ‘Poonjolai’ Srinivasan, his brother Damodaran and others in connection with the seizure of several wads of newly- printed currency of ₹200 denomination. The case was registered under Section 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 477(A) (falsification of accounts) and other provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The agency said reliable information had been received that the Income Tax Department conducted searches on the premises of Mr. Damodaran in Vellore on April 1, 2019, and seized ₹11.48 crore. During the course of investigation, Mr. Srinivasan claimed that the money belonged to him and was meant for distribution to voters in the Vellore Parliamentary constituency ahead of the election. Based on the seizure, the election was cancelled in the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency and a case was registered against D. Kathir Anand (the candidate and son of senior DMK leader Duraimurugan) under the provisions of the IPC and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, relating to distribution of cash to voters.
The CBI said in the First Information Report that the cash in ₹200 denomination was obtained from the currency chest of Canara Bank, Vellore, by exchanging notes of other denominations. Mr. Dayanidhi had allegedly colluded with the accused persons by abusing his official position and hence committed the offence of criminal misconduct.
“The currency was obtained for facilitating easy distribution of currency notes to the voters in the Vellore Parliamentary constituency during the Parliament election which was to be held on 18.04.2019,” the agency said and added that the activity promoted corruption.
In a formal note to the CBI, the bank authorities confirmed that the senior manager had exchanged the currency notes in the chest without following due procedures. The searches come a couple of days after Mr. Anand, who later contested and won the election, complained that two persons posing as police officials barged into his room at Tamil Nadu House, New Delhi, and questioned him on the issues that the party was planning to raise in Parliament.
Parrying questions on the nature of seizures made on the premises of the trio on Thursday, a CBI official said the agency would summon them soon for questioning. The investigator refused to comment on the role of the MP in the case and also whether he would be questioned.