EC to Madras HC -Money being distributed in police jeeps

Chennai: Money meant to influence voters in Tamil Nadu is being distributed in police jeeps, the Election Commission (EC) told the Madras HC on Tuesday. The EC submitted documents to the first bench comprising chief justice M Y Eqbal and justice T S Sivagnanam to
show how it had mounted operations to prevent illegal transfer of funds for the campaign and check the abuse of 'money power' to bribe voters.
G Rajagopalan, senior counsel, appearing for the Election Commission, said the poll panel had received documents from a Central government department, which detailed places across the state where money was drawn from and where it was kept. "Some of the names (mentioned in the file) are very shocking," he said.
Submitting the file to the first bench, comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam, he said it contained only one-tenth of the information received from the Centre. The commission would take action against police officers found distributing money, Rajagopalan added.
R Viduthalai, who appeared on behalf of fisheries minister K P P Samy, referred to a search conducted by the EC on a DMK ward councillor from Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district. Terming the commission a "constitutional despot", he questioned the basis on which the commission was carrying out searches in houses.
The DMK's functionary was among petitioners who have sought the court's intervention on the grounds that the EC's actions intended to give the Opposition an advantage in the elections.