19 April,2017 03:04 PM IST | | Vijay Kumar Yadav
Mumbai EOW believes that Shekhar Chandrashekhar offered to bribe an EC official on behalf of Dinakaran to deposit R19.5-crore bail sum in SC
Serial conman Shekhar Chandrashekhar and AIADMK general secy TTV Dinakaran
Serial conman Shekhar Chandrashekhar alias Sukesh Chandrasekhar had perhaps offered to broker a Rs 50-crore deal between AIADMK general secretary TTV Dinakaran and an EC official to retain the two leaves symbol of the party for the RK Nagar by-election in an effort to raise funds for his bail in the Rs 19-crore Ponzi fraud case.
Also read - From Mumbai to Delhi: Master conman Chandrashekhar strikes again
Chandrashekhar, who was arrested by the Delhi Police crime branch on Sunday, also faces charges of duping investors of a Ponzi scheme of Rs 19 crore in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi. He was arrested by the Mumbai economic offences wing (EOW) in 2015, along with his girlfriend and film Madras Café actress Leena Maria Paul.
Condition for bail
When he applied for bail in April last year, the SC ordered that he first deposit Rs 19.5 crore in four months. Chandrashekhar managed to get extensions on the payment, and deposited two cheques of R3 crore and Rs 16.3 crore in court. But the cheques were dishonoured, following which the SC cancelled his bail on December 16, 2016. Chandrashekhar had been on the run since then.
Also read: Master conman, who cheated 500 Mumbaikars of Rs 19 crore, set free
He made a request to retain his bail in SC in March with a deposit of a demand draft of Rs 19.5 crore. But since he failed to make a fresh bail application, the SC didn't consider his request.
Sources said the EOW believes that he raised this amount after becoming Dinakaran's middleman. They said R10 crore of the R50-crore deal was routed to Chandrashekhar a few weeks ago through some hawala operators, including one from Kochi.
Mumbai EOW officials do not suspect that Dinakaran had any knowledge of Chandrashekhar's cons. But, the Delhi Police has substantial evidence to show that Dinakaran was in connivance with Chandrashekhar, said Madhur Verma, DCP (crime), Delhi Police.
Will re-arrest him: EOW
The Mumbai EOW plans to take custody of Chandrashekhar again once the Delhi Police is through with him. A Mumbai EOW officer said he would be arrested as he had jumped a non-bailable warrant issued by the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors court.
A Delhi court yesterday sent Chandrashekhar to eight days of police custody and ordered a medical examination of him every 48 hours.
Police sources said when Chandrashekhar was arrested from a five-star hotel by the Delhi Police, Leena Paul was with him. He claimed that she was his wife, but the police believe that the two are not married.
With agency input
