EC bribery case: HC declines to stay trial of T P Mallikarjun

The Delhi High Court has declined to stay a CBI court order putting on trial an aide of former AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran in a case related to alleged bribing of Election Commission (EC) officials to get the two leaves party symbol.

Justice A K Pathak declined to grant any interim relief to T P Mallikarjun and listed the matter for further hearing on February 21.

"No stay," the court said while issuing notice to the police and seeking its stand on Mallikarjun's plea seeking quashing of charges framed against him.

In his plea, Malliakarjun has contended that he was not part of the first charge sheet in the case and that he had no part in the conspiracy to allegedly bribe EC officials.

His lawyer told the court that he was only a business partner of Dhinakaran's wife, was not a member of the AIADMK party and was not connected to prime accused Sukesh Chandrasekar in any manner.

The court, however, said that the trail of money transferred through Mallikarjun led to the main person (Sukesh) and since he was also known to Dhinakaran, he cannot be granted any relief at this stage.

The special CBI court on November 17 had framed charges of criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence under the IPC and taking gratification for influencing a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act against him.

Later on December 4, Dhinakaran was also put on trial for the same offences by the CBI court.

Trial in the case is scheduled to commence from December 17.

Mallikarjun has sought quashing of the charges against him by claiming that he was not part of any conspiracy and that since no public servant was bribed, therefore, the charges under the PC Act won't be applicable.

Dhinakaran, who floated the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam party after being expelled from the AIADMK, was arrested in April 2017 here and later granted bail.

Chandrasekar, who is in judicial custody, was earlier put on trial in the case for the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence under the IPC and under the PC Act.

In 2017, the Delhi Police's crime branch filed a charge sheet alleging that Chandrasekar had conspired with Dhinakaran and others to bribe poll panel officials to get the two leaves symbol for Sasikala-led AIADMK faction.

Dhinakaran won the by-elections held in Radha Krishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in December last year under the 'pressure cooker' symbol with a margin of over 40,000 votes.