NEW DELHI: Conman Sukesh Chandrashekar has always lived life king-size. Now an undertrial facing a series of cheating cases, including one on attempting to bribe officials in the Election Commission of India, he was last week allowed to freely shop, meet people and do business deals in Bengaluru while on paper he was escorted by a team of Delhi policemen, according to a report submitted by the Income Tax department to the Delhi Police Commissioner.
Due to an “active connivance” of the escorting police officials, Sukesh not only bought expensive items and spent time with his associate Leena Maria Paul, but even received “a very large amount as remuneration” at Bengaluru on October 9 and 10.
“It was also gathered that with the money received, he purchased three luxury preowned vehicles on October 10 and 11, 2017. To buy the vehicles, he actively negotiated and met brokers, from Coimbatore and Chennai,” said the report, details of which were accessed by Express.
Sukesh is accused of offering to bribe Election Commission officials to rule in favour of TTV Dhinakaran’s faction of the AIADMK on the party symbol issue. He was escorted from Tihar prison by a seven-member Delhi police team to produce him before a trial court in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu for a hearing scheduled on October 12.
The report said the team reached Bengaluru on October 9 and for the next two days the cops allowed Sukesh to move like a free man, carry out illegal activities and splurge.
Based on intelligence inputs gathered on these activities, a surprise raid was conducted by the Income Tax department on the intervening night of October 11 and 12 at the service apartments at Vittal Mallya Road in Bengaluru and another apartment belonging to Sukesh’a family at Nagarbhavi Village in Bengaluru, from where several expensive items and a luxury car were seized.
Undertrial and conman Sukesh Chandrashekar used the “very large amount as remuneration” he received from a client in Bengaluru to splurge on high-end goods, according to a report sent by the income tax department to the Delhi Police Commissioner.The products seized from his place of residence in Bengaluru included a Bentley car, Audemars Piguet watch, Rolex card holder and costly branded apparel. Efforts are on to trace two other luxury cars - believed to be a Jaguar and Mercedes Benz - purchased by Sukesh during the previous two days, the report said.
Jeevan Chander, the head constable who was leading the police escort team, in his deposition claimed that the team reached Bengaluru only at 7 am on October 11 and stayed along with the accused in KSR Bengaluru railway station till evening. He claimed they left the railway station in the evening and reached along with accused “near to”the service apartment at Vittal Mallya Road when the raid was conducted. But Sukesh had in his statement during the raid, confessed to have reached Bengaluru on October 9. Only two policemen stayed with him in the service apartment while the others stayed in a hotel at St Marks Road, the report said.
Sukesh had said, “Mr Rajesh, ASI from Delhi police gave me permission to the shopping.”
The report, pointing to CCTV footage in the service apartment, said it was evident that Sukesh was allowed to move freely. The invoices of the hotel showed that the policemen stayed alone. “All these activities were possible only with the active connivance of escorting police. Hence, the same is brought to your notice for suitable action,” said the report.
The man who offered to buy ‘Two Leaves’ for TTV
Serial conman Sukesh Chandrashekar had allegedly offered to strike a deal with the Election Commission of India on behalf of TTV Dhinakaran to secure the Two Leaves symbol for a sum of J50 lakh. This was done ahead of the RK Nagar Assembly election, for which Dhinakaran was the AIADMK’s official candidate. The Delhi police claim Sukesh had many cases pending against him