A Pudukottai court on Wednesday acquitted five Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam partymen, including three candidates who contested the Assembly elections held in April 2011, for want of adequate evidence in an election case.
Election officials registered a case against five persons — S Regupathy, former Union Minister, Periyannan Arasu and Kavithai Piththan, the DMK nominees for the Viralamalai, Pudukottai and Gandarvakottai (reserve) constituencies respectively, besides Muthusamy, the then District Panchayat president and Veeramani, Pudukottai town secretary of the party.
The case pertained to violation of Model Code of Conduct and G. Thavaselvan, Election Tahsildar, in his complaint, said the DMK cadre had taken out a procession to garland the statue of the former Chief Minister late Annadurai, used DMK party flags without valid permission. The case was registered on March 18, 2011 - the date of filing of nomination by the DMK nominees.