M. Natarajan, husband of Sasikala, former aide of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who was arrested in a land grab case on Saturday in Chennai, was produced before a magistrate at her residence here in the early hours of Sunday and remanded in judicial custody till March 2.
He was immediately taken to the Tiruchi Central Prison and lodged there. Mr.Natarajan was brought to the Tamil University police station at around 3.30 a.m. and interrogated by the police officers.
He was taken to the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital where a medical examination was done. Later, he was produced before Malathi, Judicial Magistrate I.
Mr. Natarajan told the Magistrate that he would like to undergo treatment in a private hospital as he was unwell. To this, the Magistrate said that he can take treatment in the medical facility available at Central Prison. When he insisted, the magistrate asked him to file a separate petition on Monday.
Later speaking to reporters, he alleged that the state government was harassing his family. “But we will bear it, as we are followers of Anna. My arrest is a gift for Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on her birthday. I also convey my birthday wishes to her,” he said before being taken to the prison.
Mr. Natarajan was arrested following a complaint lodged by S. Ramalingam of Vilar near Thanjavur with the district crime branch police alleging that Mr.Natarajan and his associates forcibly encroached upon his 15,000 sq.ft property to construct a memorial there. Cases were registered against Mr.Natarajan, his brother M.Swaminathan and four others — Chinnaiyah, Suresh, Ilanchezhiyan and Kubendran — under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Meanwhile, police arrested two more persons, Chinnaiah, a relative of Mr. Natarajan, and Kubendran of Needamangalam, an AIADMK party functionary. They were also produced before the Judicial Magistrate I and remanded to custody till March 2 before being sent to Tiruchi Central Prison.
