A fake Rajya Sabha MP identity card, a replica of the original with all the minute security details copied, has been purportedly recovered from Sukesh Chandrashekhar, a co-accused of AIADMK (Amma) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran in the alleged attempted bribery case.
Sukesh is suspected to have used it to convince people he was an MP and tried to gain access to those who could put him in touch with ECI officials.
An officer privy to the investigations said it needs detailed observation to notice the features and such cards could be potentially used to breach the security.
Delhi Police Crime Branch which is probing the case has initiated a probe to ascertain who gave the ID card to Sukesh.
Since the recent recovery, the Crime Branch has added section 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc) of the Indian Penal Code to the FIR in order to strengthen its case, a senior police officer said. This is a stringent legal provision and the violation carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The new provision being slapped has also allowed the investigators to buy more time to file a chargesheet.
Sukesh, an alleged middleman, was hired by Mr. Dinakaran to obtain a favourable verdict from the ECI ahead of the R.K. Nagar by elections, the police has claimed so far.
The first one to be held in the case, he was arrested from a hotel here on April 16 here for allegedly taking money from Dhinakaran to bribe Election Commission officials in getting his party the AIADMK's poll symbol of two leaves.
It was on his disclosure that Mr. Dhinakaran's name cropped up. Nine days and several rounds of questioning later, he, too was arrested.
It is alleged that following an internal tussle, the AIADMK (Anna) faction had hoped to obtain the symbol for the bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu, which was later cancelled by the EC after the alleged irregularities were reported. The other section led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam – had also staked a claim to the two leaves symbol.
