DMK asks EC to include those who figured in IT report in FIR

The DMK today urged the Election Commission to take steps to include the names of persons cited in an Income Tax report in the FIR filed over alleged bribing of voters in RK Nagar Assembly constituency.

Ahead of the announcement of schedule to the bypoll in RK Nagar Assembly constituency, the Election Commission should take steps to do it, DMK functionary N Maruthu Ganesh said.

The IT Department's report had included names of some ministers, he alleged.

The bypoll to RK Nagar is expected to be held before December 31 following a Madras High Court directive in this regard.

Ganesh was the main opposition party's candidate in the April 12, 2017 bypoll that was later cancelled.
 

In a memorandum to the poll panel, he detailed the income tax searches in the premises linked to Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar in April this year.

Searches led to seizure of documents as well which allegedly showed routing of about Rs 89 crore to bribe voters of the assembly segment, he said.

Subsequently, the Election Commission directed the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu to register an FIR through the Returning Officer.

The poll panel had directed "quick and appropriate action be taken by police and apprise the Commission of the same at the earliest," he pointed out.

Against this background, he said an FIR was registered on April 27 this year at Abiramapuram police station in Chennai for alleged bribing of voters.

"However, interestingly no accused were named in the said FIR even though several persons were named in the report of the IT Department," he said.

"I call upon the Election Commission to...make all efforts to alter the FIR... by reflecting the names of all the accused found in the IT department's report," he said.

His memorandum was addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners in New Delhi.

The DMK functionary also wanted the EC to "monitor" the matter so as to bring to book the offenders, failing which he would be constrained to initiate legal proceedings.