A.S. Mani, editor of Naveena Netrikan, a Tamil magazine, was arrested by the Madurai city police and produced before a judicial magistrate here on Sunday.
Following a complaint from Suresh of Doraisamy Road, TVS Nagar, that the magazine had published a defamatory article against him and Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers M.K. Azhagiri, a case was registered.
According to a senior police officer, the article said Mr. Suresh (a close friend of Mr. Azhagiri) was the key person behind awarding major road contracts. Successful bidders had to hand over a percentage as commission before receiving the contracts. Similarly, the postings of police and revenue officers in most government departments in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu were made only after they were cleared by Mr. Suresh, it said.
