This Article is From Jun 19, 2017

Election Commission Orders FIR Over 'Bribing Of Voters' In RK Nagar Bypoll

The bypoll slated for April 12 was cancelled subsequently following allegations of large-scale distribution of money to voters, entailing raids by the tax authorities.

Election Commission Orders FIR Over 'Bribing Of Voters' In RK Nagar Bypoll

The bypoll was cancelled following allegations of large-scale distribution of money to voters.

Chennai: The Election Commission has asked the Tamil Nadu chief electoral officer to lodge a police case over the alleged bribery of voters in R K Nagar assembly segment, the poll panel has said in reply to a query under transparency law.

The bypoll slated for April 12 was cancelled subsequently following allegations of large-scale distribution of money to voters, entailing raids by the tax authorities.

The ECI said it had directed the CEO, Tamil Nadu on April 18 to ask the RK Nagar returning officer to file a complaint with police for bribing the voters.

In its response to a plea under Right to Information Act by a Chennai-based lawyer, M P Vairakkannan, a copy of which was circulated to media here, ECI Secretary Malay Mallick in his letter to the CEO refers to the Income Tax report on raids in Tamil Nadu, vis-a-vis the bypoll.

The letter said the Commission had received a report on April 9 from IT department on search and seizure of documents indicating large-scale distribution of money to bribe voters.

The alleged bribe/ inducement was to influence the bypoll in RK Nagar which is an offence under IPC, the letter noted.

"Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the Commission has directed that an FIR may be filed by the RO in the instant case," the letter said.

The letter, signed by Mr Mallick, further said, "It is expected that quick and appropriate action is taken by the police and the Commission is apprised about the same at the earliest."

The RTI plea of April 26 was received by the Commission on May 3 and the first of its eight questions sought to know about the action over the alleged distribution of money.

The query asked as to what action the poll panel would be taking against the electoral misconduct of distribution of money to voters in RK Nagar constituency against various persons.

The people against whom the proposed action by the poll panel had been enquired about included AIADMK (Amma) deputy general secretary T T V Dhinakaran, Chief Minister Edapadi K Palanisamy and  ministers Sengotaiyan, Sellur K Raju, Thangamani and Vijayabaskar.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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