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Tamil Nadu’s CB-CID has revived a high-profile cash-for-votes case involving state BJP president and Tirunelveli MLA Nainar Nagendran. Citing the money trail and call data records, the agency has formally placed on record an alleged link between top BJP leaders and the seizure in April 2024 of Rs 3.98 crore cash, allegedly meant to bribe voters.
The case, once dismissed as “dead” by the BJP leadership, has gained new traction with the arrest of a key accused, who police said admitted to converting gold into cash — tightening the probe around Nagendran’s inner circle. The deepening scandal has led to fears in the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP that Nagendran could face arrest ahead of next year’s Assembly election in the state.
According to court documents, investigators arrested a man named Sooraj on June 30 for allegedly exchanging Rs 97.92 lakh in cash after selling a 1.5-kg gold bar. The CB-CID told the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai that Sooraj was approached by Vignesh, the driver of BJP’s industrial wing president Govardhan, allegedly to facilitate the transaction. The agency alleged that call record analysis confirmed the involvement of Govardhan, BJP treasurer S R Sekhar, and state general secretary (organisation) Kesava Vinayakan in the distribution effort.
Police suspect the money was intended to be funnelled to voters in Tirunelveli in support of Nagendran, who contested and lost the parliamentary seat in 2024. The court granted Sooraj bail on July 10, noting that the offences listed under Sections 171(C), 171(E), 171(F), and 188 of the Indian Penal Code are bailable.
The case originated on April 6, 2024, when a flying squad of the Election Commission and Tambaram police seized Rs 3.98 crore in Rs 500 notes from three men aboard the Nellai Express. The trio — S Sathish, S Perumal, and S Naveen — claimed the cash was to be distributed to voters on Nagendran’s instructions. Sathish, identified as the manager of a Chennai hotel allegedly owned by Nagendran, was in possession of the BJP leader’s identity card and other documents, according to officials.
Although the case was initially handled by Tambaram police, it was transferred to the CB-CID’s Metro wing in April. Since then, the agency has summoned multiple BJP leaders, including Nagendran, for questioning. While Nagendran has denied any connection to the seized cash, CB-CID investigators have maintained that the money trail and testimonies point to a coordinated effort involving top state BJP leaders.