What began as a bar brawl in Chennai’s Nungambakkam area has unravelled into a major police investigation exposing a web of crimes, including large-scale government job fraud, land grabbing, extortion, illegal use of police information, and drug trafficking. Among those arrested is actor Srikanth, who has been allegedly involved in consumption of drugs.
According to a press release from the Greater Chennai Police, the chain of events began on May 22 when the Nungambakkam Police Station arrested eight people involved in two separate groups that clashed at a nightclub. Further investigation into one of the accused, Prasath a former AIADMK, IT wing functionary, led to shocking revelations.
A raid on Prasath’s residence and scrutiny of his bank transactions uncovered a fraud operation amounting to approximately Rs 2 crore. Prasath had allegedly duped nearly 200 individuals by promising them government jobs in departments including the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, Chennai Corporation, Water Board, Income Tax, and Railways. He also has an attempted murder case pending against him.
Senthil, a head constable with the Madurai City Armed Police, who was in contact with Prasath, was also arrested in connection with the job fraud. So far, three separate cases have been registered against Prasath and his associates, with more complaints continuing to pour in, police said.
Investigators further discovered that Prasath, with the help of police personnel, had obtained call details and location data of various individuals to extort money. Santosh, an acquaintance of Prasath, was also implicated in this illegal operation. Two sub-inspectors are currently under investigation, and one person has been arrested in connection with the extortion racket.
The investigation also revealed that Prasath was involved in procuring and selling cocaine. He reportedly sourced the drugs from Pradeep, a resident of Bengaluru, and a Ghanaian national named John. Police seized 11 grams of cocaine, related financial records, and electronic evidence during the investigation. Actor Srikanth was booked in connection with the drug case after medical testing and analysis of financial transactions.
The police also cracked down on a land grabbing network linked to the same group. Individuals including Ajay Vandayar, Nagendra Sethupathi, Chandrasekar alias Senthil, and Sivasankaran were booked for allegedly threatening landowners and forging documents to illegally acquire land. An organization named AJ Trust & Enterprises is also under investigation for suspicious financial dealings related to this case.
In total, 22 people have been arrested so far, with five detained under the Goondas Act. Police confirmed that complaints related to job fraud are still being registered, and investigations are ongoing.