My passport is in court for 20 yrs: Dhinakaran questions need for lookout notice

Chennai: AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday virtually questioned the need for the lookout notice issued by the Delhi Police in a bribery case, saying as his passport "is in court" for 20 years how could he flee the country.

"My passport is in court for 20 years. How can I escape from India," he told reporters in Chennai.

He was apparently referring to the pending FERA cases against him in a court in Chennai in connection with which he has surrendered his passport.

The Delhi Police issued the lookout notice against Dhinakaran in connection with the case registered against him for allegedly attempting to bribe an EC official to get the coveted 'two leaves' symbol for his faction.

The "preventive" action comes in the wake of inputs that Dhinakaran was an NRI and could try to flee, police said.

The notice was issued at a time when Dhinakaran has been virtually ousted as Deputy General Secretary of the V K Sasikala faction of AIADMK following a revolt by senior ministers.

Earlier, the Delhi Crime Branch Police had arrested an alleged middleman, Sukesh Chandrashekhar, from a hotel in the national capital in connection with the bribery case.

Sukesh had claimed he had told Dhinakaran that he will get a favourable verdict from the Election Commission in the party symbol case.