VELLORE: 17 months since a case was booked against DMK MP Kathir Anand, son of DMK general secretary Durai Murugan, in connection to “cash for votes” by the district police, the status still remains “pending for legal opinion”. The FIR against Anand, along with ‘Poonjolai’ Srinivasan, a local DMK functionary, and his brother-in-law Damodaran, was registered by the Katpadi police on April 1, 2019, following a complaint lodged by Siluppan, the then Nodal Officer for Election Expenditure for Vellore Lok Sabha Constituency.
The police booked them under Section 125 A (i) of Representation of People Act, 1951, and Sections 171 (E) and 171 (B) of the IPC, in connection with the seizure of Rs 11.48 crore from the premises of Srinivasan and Damodaran, by the I-T department. The election was subsequently called off. Srinivasan was believed to have confessed to the I-T officials that the cash was meant for distribution to voters. Cash was found wrapped in small bundles with ward numbers marked on it.
Now, the district police seems to have put the case in the backburner, without initiating efforts to take it to the logical end. When asked, the then investigation officer Inspector Pugazh said, “I am not following it. I was transferred from Katpadi station.” Katpadi DSP N Sridharan stated he was unaware of the case’s status, since he had taken charge of the Katpadi Sub-division, only recently.
However, Vellore SP S Selvakumar said legal opinion was sought on the case, but stopped short of saying anything more. The case came under the spotlight again after the CBI filed an FIR against the then senior manager of Canara Bank’s regional office in Vellore, M Dayanidhi, along with Srinivasan and Damodaran, in connection with exchange of newly printed currency notes meant to bribe voters. The CBI held raids at premises of the three on Thursday.