Election Commission official bribery row: Delhi police keep media on toes in Chennai

Local police personnel also kept at arm’s length, but they had to turn to them finally for help in locating the addresses to serve summons on a PWD official and later a private telecom firm manager.

Officials of the Delhi police interrogating TTV Dhinakaran leaving Rajaji Bhavan in Beasant Nagar, in the city on Friday | (Ashwin Prasath | EPS)

CHENNAI: Police convoy crisscrossing the city at breakneck speed, often disregarding traffic signals; a dozen vehicles stuffed with media personnel tailing them; suspense about the plans, confusion about what next, bumper collisions due to sudden braking, drama and tension.

It was a scene straight out of a commercial potboiler when the Delhi police personnel, who are in city to investigate the case that AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran tried to bribe Election Commission officials, went around Chennai to serve the summons on those who are suspected to have a role in the bribery charge.

After an hour-long inquiry behind closed doors on Thursday, the personnel led by Assistant Commissioner Sanjay Swarath set out in two cars at around 11 am on Friday. They were accompanied by three local police vehicles on escort. Not knowing that the key figures, Dhinakaran and his aide, were not part of the team, media personnel began flocking to vehicles, only to be disappointed.

The cars left Rajaji Bhavan soon afterwards, followed by media personnel in other vehicles. The latter had no information about the police plan, and were chasing the Delhi team wherever it went. The situation was no different for local police, who seemed to be on a need-to-know basis.

When the officials crossed Madhyakailash, there were speculations that the police were heading to the airport. But upon reaching Guindy, they took the road to Alandur. There, the car stopped before Giri Chandra Constructions at Thiruvalluvar street. The officials were seen discussing among themselves, without heightening the anticipation.

However, it was later known that the team from Delhi had a very mundane trouble - locating the exact address. Finally, they disclosed the location to the local police, who then acted as the guide and took them to another Thiruvalluvar Street in Neelakandan Nagar in Adambakkam.

There, they went to the home of a retired PWD official named Mohan, said to be a close relative of Dhinakaran’s wife Anuradha. He was served summons, asking him to appear before the police in Delhi for inquiry.

From there, the team headed to Kolapakkam, but this time after informing the local police about the address. Local intelligence officials piloted the team to the house of Daniel Philip, a manager with a leading private telecom company. In his absence, it was left to his teary-eyed mother to receive the summons to appear before the team at Rajaji Bhavan by evening. This was not the only drama that was on display.

At Porur signal, three media vehicles were involved in bumper-to-bumper collisions, while another hit a patrol vehicle from behind when it applied a sudden brake.

At Bhajanai Koil Street in Thiruverkadu, the officials visited the house of one Gopinath, an advocate. He was not present at the time, and it was left to his crying mother to deal with the questions that the Delhi police asked. Sources here said the team did not serve any summons on Gopinath.

As the confusion continued among media and local police, the Delhi cops suddenly changed plans and returned to Rajaji Bhavan where Dhinakaran and his aide Mallikarjuna were confined for questioning by another team of officials right from the morning.