The police have booked AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala and its Legislature Party Leader Edappadi K Palanisamy in connection with the alleged detention of party MLAs at a resort near Chennai.
The two were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to abduction and wrongful confinement.
The case was filed at Koovathur police station on a complaint from Madurai (South) MLA SS Saravanan, who famously “escaped” from the resort wearing bermuda shorts and a T shirt as ‘disguise’. He had scaled a wall and jumped down to escape to the O Panneerselvam camp.
Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered at the Koovathur police station against Sasikala and Palanisamy, under Sections 366 (kidnapping) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation).
On Wednesday, Saravanan had reportedly claimed that the MLAs in the resort were traumatised.
We were isolated in one place and were affected emotionally. But we were attending phone calls and were active on social media, backing OPS.
Saravanan’s comments tie in with the popular perception among the public in Chennai. Attacking the Sasikala faction for locking up their representatives, more than one case was filed seeking immediate location of the missing MLAs.
The situation had even drawn the attention of the Madras High Court, which directed the police to investigate whether the MLAs were being held by force.
On Wednesday, the police were once again back at the Golden Bay resort, this time investigating Saravanan’s complaint. However, MLAs at the resort were quick to dismiss these allegations as completely false.
Radhapuram MLA Inbadurai, for instance, told the media that the police had already conducted inquiries with the MLAs at the resort.
We showed the cops the room Sarvananan stayed in. His claims are not true. He stayed with us from February 8. When the police interrogated us following the High Court’s order, he gave a statement that everyone was staying here of their own will. This complaint from him was because of a ‘second thought’ aimed at creating unnecessary political instability.
Rangasamy, MLA for Thanjavur, said that Saravanan had betrayed Jayalalithaa by joining the OPS faction.
(With inputs from PTI, The News Minute)
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