Thirunavukkarasu (45) of Arumbakkam, one of the three men arrested by the Greater Chennai Police
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Three men have been arrested by the Triplicane Police in Chennai based on a complaint filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party’s Uthangarai MLA N. Elaiyaraja for attempting to bribe him to vote during no-confidence motion against the Speaker in the next Assembly session.
A senior official of the Greater Chennai Police said Mr. Elaiyaraja had lodged a complaint with the Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner a few days ago. In his complaint, the MLA stated that an individual named Thirunavukkarasu contacted him claiming to run an opinion polling firm called ‘Indian Political Democratic Strategies’ (IPDS) and stated that he was reaching out at the behest of members from a major political party to arrange an in-person meeting. Mr. Elaiyaraja however, disconnected the call, citing other engagements. Thirunavukkarasu reportedly contacted him again and made an offer claiming that a no-confidence motion was being brought against the Speaker in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and asked Mr. Elaiyaraja to act in a specific manner during the vote on the motion, promising a reward of up to ₹35 crore.
N. Elaiyaraja, complainant and Uthangarai TVK MLA
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Firmly refusing, Mr. Elaiyaraja stated that he was not interested and told the caller not to contact him again. In response, Thirunavukkarasu threatened that Mr. Elaiyaraja and his family would face dire consequences if the conversation were disclosed to anyone.
Consequently, the Uthangarai MLA lodged a complaint with the Chennai City Police Commissioner on June 29, 2026 and sought legal action against Thirunavukkarasu. Based on the complaint, the Triplicane Police filed a case and arrested Thirunavukkarasu (45) of Arumbakkam, Naresh of Tiruchi and Thiagarajan of Medavakkam, who were acting in the background.
Further, investigation has revealed that V. Ashok Kumar, who is the brother of former DMK Minister and incumbent Coimbatore South MLA V. Senthilbalaji, met the accused, Naresh, in Chennai.
Published – July 01, 2026 06:04 pm IST
