Dindigul District police arrested 10 persons, including antisocial K. Selvam (45) alias ‘Varichiyur’ Selvam of Varichiyur in Sivaganga district, on various charges including doubling of currency here on Thursday.
Following a complaint from a hotel-cum-resort owner, Rajan Babu of Theni district, who operates his business at Naidupuram in Kodaikanal, the police registered a case.
According to the complainant, he was in need of about Rs.10 crore for his business activities, and he had approached one Selva Ganesh of Seelapadi here for a loan. Selva Ganesh had allegedly promised Mr.Babu that he would arrange the loan through his contacts in Madurai. As part of the deal, the borrower had to part with a sum of Rs.30 lakh as commission.
Stating that they had arranged the loan, Selva Ganesh, accompanied by ‘Varichiyur’ Selvam and others, approached Mr.Babu in his hotel and handed over the ‘cash’ kept in huge suitcases and demanded the commission from him. When the hotel owner asked his employees to check the money, they were shocked to see plain papers, which appeared like currencies.
Immediately, they alerted the police. Kodaikanal DSP Mohankumar, Inspector of Police Karunakaran and a team rushed to the spot.
The police arrested ‘Varichiyur’ Selvam and his accomplices, whose names were given as Selva Ganesh, Dhanapackiam (38) of NGO Colony, A. Parthiban (24) of Jeeva Nagar, Bodi, B. Sai Seji (28) of Bharathi Street, T. Nagar, Chennai, R. Murugan (24) of Mela Ponnagaram, Madurai, Srinivasan (32), R. Suresh (43), R. Bhagavathi Rajan (39) and R. Narasimhan (30) — all from Viralipatti, Batlagundu. The police are on the lookout for one Soundaram. The arrested were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and produced before a court.
A police officer said ‘Varichiyur’ Selvam figured in several murder, attempt-to-murder, kidnap and other cases. He was wanted in many stations. He was claiming to be a close associate of Ramanathapuram DMK MP and actor Rithish, he added.
