From Chandini Chowk to Chennai: The TTV Dinakaran money trail

T T V Dinakaran was taken to Chennai on a transit remand and a day later a Delhi-based hawala operative was arrested. Identified as Naresh, the hawala operative hails from Chandini Chowk in Old Delhi. The Delhi police had found Rs 1.3 crore on Sukesh Chandrashekhar, the conman who assured Dinakaran that he would get the AIADMK's symbol by bribing officials of the Election Commission.

The total amount that was part of the deal amounted to Rs 50 crore, the Delhi police have alleged. While the entire amount was not paid, a part payment was made to Sukesh through Naresh the police have found.

The money trail:

Tracking the money trail is crucial to the probe. At present, the investigation is based on the three-minute audio clip in which Dinakaran and Sukesh are heard speaking. However, this evidence is not strong enough to file charges and secure a connection.

Prima facie, the Delhi police has learnt that Dinakaran wanted to bag the AIAMDK's two leaves symbol at any cost. He wanted to bag it before the R K Nagar by-elections as he was the candidate for the constituency. He is alleged to have got in touch with a minister to help arrange the money to be paid off to Sukesh.

Sukesh had sensed his desperation and decided to pose as a high court judge and make an offer. Dinakaran who was desperate took the offer.

He then got in touch with a minister in the Tamil Nadu government and spoke about the offer made to him. The minister, in turn, spoke with a friend who is a Trichy-based businessman to raise the funds. Once the money was raised, Naresh was contacted and asked to transfer the money to Sukesh through a hawala transaction.

Naresh is alleged to have transferred Rs 1.3 crore to Sukesh that was found on him at the time of his arrest. The Delhi police say that only a part payment was made. He was assured of payments in instalments, the police have also learnt. The final part of the payment would be made only after the job was done, it was agreed upon.

The police say that the network was a large one. Several persons from Tamil Nadu closely associated with Dinakaran are under the scanner. The police has already questioned an advocate apart from conducting search operations in various places.

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