A case has been registered against four BJP functionaries in Pondy Bazaar Police Station for allegedly cheating a businessman from Tiruvannamalai district after receiving ₹50 lakh on the promise of getting him a seat in the Assembly elections. The police have launched a search for the four accused.
After preliminary investigation, the police registered an FIR against Narothaman, 35, his father Chitti Babu, 65, from Telangana and Vijayaraman, 50, and Siva Balaji from Vyasarpadi. They have been booked under Sections- 294(b) (Uttering obscene words), 406(Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 506(Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 420(Cheating) of IPC.
The complainant Bhuvanesh Kumar is BJP Arani town president and a businessman. He alleged that Vijayaraman had introduced him to Narothaman, who claimed to be the PA of a Union Minister. Narothaman and his father demanded ₹1 crore in cash for getting party ticket either for Bhuvanesh Kumar or his cousin. Bhuvanesh Kumar gave ₹50 lakh cash as advance at a hotel in T. Nagar on March 12 before the BJP announced the list of its candidates. He was supposed to pay the rest of the amount after his candidature was announced.
When his name was not in the list, Bhuvanesh Kumar contacted Narothaman who told him that he or his cousin could contest from Tiruvannamalai. But their names never appeared in the list officially released by the party. The accused failed to get the party ticket for Bhuvanesh Kumar as promised and delayed returning the payment, the complainant alleged.
