TN Police register 2 cheating cases against ex-minister

Chennai, Nov 18 (IANS) The Virudhunagar District Crime Branch Police have registered two cheating cases against Former Minister Rajenthra Bhalaji, his assistants, and a former functionary of the AIADMK.

The cases were registered on the basis of a complaint filed by a former functionary of the AIADMK, K. Nallathambi, that he had collected Rs 1.6 crore from several people and handed over the money to people close to Bhalaji to get government jobs.

One person, S. Raveendran from Sattur in Tamil Nadu said that he had handed over an amount of Rs 30 lakh to K. Nallathambi, union secretary of the AIADMK between November 20 and February 2021.

He complained that he was promised a job as a manager in Aavin by another AIADMK functionary, Mariappan who introduced him to Nallathambi. Raveendran said that he handed over the amount of Rs 30 lakh raised by taking various loans to Nallathambi after meeting Rajenthra Balaji at his residence.

Ravindran also alleged that the Virudhunagar East District Secretary of the AIADMK, Ravichandran was the brother of Nallathambi and that he was also aware of the money being handed over. He said that after the AIADMK lost the Assembly elections and the DMK government assumed office, he was not able to meet any of them.

Meanwhile, Nallathambi has also filed a complaint against former Minister Rajenthra Bhalaji and his accomplices Baburaj, Muthupandian, and Balaraman stating that he had collected Rs 1.60 crore from various people on the instructions from Bhalaji promising them jobs and had handed over the money to Bhalaji and his associates.

Nallathambi also charged that Bhalaji had not repaid him Rs 1.40 crore which he had spent for various programmes of the AIADMK under the instructions of Bhalaji. In the complaint, the former AIADMK functionary also said that he was receiving death threats from Bhalaji and his associates.