Senthil Balaji, brother face TN police lookout notice in alleged plot to topple TVK govt

Chennai, Jul 4 (PTI) Intensifying its probe into the alleged attempts to topple the newly-formed TVK government, the Chennai police on Saturday issued a lookout notice against former DMK minister V Senthil Balaji and his brother R V Ashok Kumar.

The development comes amid a widening manhunt in a high-stakes political case involving allegations of horse-trading, where a TVK legislator was purportedly offered Rs 35 crore to vote against the Speaker during a proposed no-confidence motion.

According to police sources, summonses were served at Senthil Balaji’s ancestral residence in Rameswarapatti in Karur district, directing the brothers to appear for questioning on July 6 and a lookout notice was issued against the brothers.

The action follows a complaint filed on June 29 by Uthangarai TVK MLA N Ilaiyaraja. The legislator alleged he was contacted by an individual claiming to head an opinion polling firm, who offered the multi-crore bribe on behalf of leaders from a "major political party". The caller allegedly threatened the MLA and his family with severe consequences when the offer was rejected.

So far, the Triplicane police have arrested eight individuals in connection with the case, including the alleged primary solicitor, Thirunavukkarasu, and his associates Naresh and Thyagarajan. Police claim interrogations revealed that the arrested individuals were acting under the direct instructions of Senthil Balaji and Ashok Kumar.

Investigators further alleged that a broader conspiracy had been hatched, with an estimated Rs 180 crore earmarked to lure ruling party MLAs and destabilise Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's government. Special police teams are currently conducting searches across Karur, Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru to apprehend absconding suspects.

Anticipating arrest, Ashok Kumar moved the Madras High Court earlier this week seeking anticipatory bail. He claimed he was being falsely implicated based merely on statements made by the callers, without any independent evidence linking him to the alleged plot.

TVK ministers have accused the DMK leadership of orchestrating the poaching attempts, while the opposition party has strongly denied the allegations, labelling the case as "evidence-less" and a political vendetta.

Countering the government's move, senior DMK leader R S Bharathi has submitted written complaints to Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). The DMK has accused Chief Minister Vijay of abusing his office to induce two MDMK legislators to resign their posts in exchange for re-election support, calling for a thorough probe into the TVK's own alleged horse-trading practices. PTI