The Hindu : Front Page : AIADMK MLA held; case filed against Paneerselvam

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Wednesday, Dec 31, 2008
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AIADMK MLA held; case filed against Paneerselvam

L Srikrishna and S. Sundar

Party workers arrested for ‘damaging’ two police vehicles

— Photo: G. Moorthy

A delegation comprising MDMK general secretary Vaiko and former AIADMK ministers on their way to submit a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer in Madurai.

MADURAI: The Madurai district police have filed an “attempt to murder” case against senior All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders , including former Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam.

Fifty-two party workers, including Melur MLA R. Samy, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody on Tuesday.

The police said that the workers, who accompanied the leaders, had damaged the windscreen of two police vehicles near Eliyarpathi on Monday night.

Mr. Paneerselvam told The Hindu here on Tuesday that unidentified persons hurled stones at him while he was talking to an Inspector of Police after the incident. “We saved the Inspector by ferrying him in our vehicle. Even after briefing Superintendent of Police M. Manohar about the attack, the district police had beaten up Mr. Samy and others, who were returning home after campaigning with MDMK leader Vaiko.”

Mr. Paneerselvam alleged that it was a conspiracy hatched by the DMK to disrupt the AIADMK campaign, as large crowds gathered at all its meetings.

AIADMK and DMK functionaries submitted memoranda, levelling charges against each other, to Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta and Election Observer Sunil Kumar Kujur.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who led a delegation of AIADMK and CPI(M) members, told reporters that the police had falsely registered cases against AIADMK leaders with the intention of preventing them from canvassing. He demanded that the police immediately withdraw the cases and release the workers. “The arrest of Mr. Samy under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder) on Tuesday shows that the police have acted hastily. We want the Election Commission to deploy paramilitary personnel.”

The DMK delegation, led by party MP Krishnasamy, Vijayan and Congress MP N.S.V. Chithan, alleged that the AIADMK had violated the model code of conduct in the use of vehicles for campaigning and during the filing of nominations. DMK functionaries were being threatened while campaigning and told to vacate the constituency immediately. The AIADMK leaders, led by Mr. Paneerselvam, distributed money to voters, it said.

“We have submitted complaints to the Thirumangalam Town police.”

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