After a year-long search in vain for ‘Attack’ Pandi in connection with murder of ‘Pottu’ Suresh alias N. Suresh Babu, a close aide of former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, the police have initiated the process of attaching properties of the accused and his family members.
Suresh was hacked to death by an armed gang at Jaihindpuram on the night of January 31, 2013. Ever since the murder, Pandi, went absconding even as 17 persons surrendered before courts or were arrested by the police.
Those who had been arrested were said to have told the police that instructions concerning the crime came from Pandi, also in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who had felt that his growth in the party was halted by Suresh.
A Judicial Magistrate Court here on December 19, 2013, declared Pandi as a proclaimed offender and directed him to surrender before the court by January 22, 2014 .
“With the expiry of the deadline, we have initiated the process of attaching the properties of Pandi and his family members,” a police officer said.
Police have already identified the properties belonging to Pandi and his family members.
It is learnt that the police have given the list of identified properties to the Sub-Registrar offices concerned requesting them to prevent any attempt to transfer the properties in the name of others. “Some of the properties that are in the name of his family members are, in fact, bought with the earnings of Pandi. We have identified such properties too,” the officer said.
With Pandi yet to be arrested, the Subramaniyapuram police are yet to file charge-sheet in the case. “We are waiting for Pandi’s confession to establish the motive and also find whether there were anymore persons who had abetted the crime,” the officer said.
After the JM court permits the police to go ahead with the attachment process, the properties could neither be sold nor power of attorney on them could be given to others. Also, rental income from commercial and domestic buildings would go to the court and not to Pandi or other shareholders till further orders from the court.
The police hope to put an end soon to Pandi’s run with the attachment of his properties. A lookout circular has been issued to prevent him from escaping out of the country after he was declared a proclaimed offender, the police added.
