Charge sheet has been filed against Union Minister M.K. Alagiri and other Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam functionaries in a case of attack against Tahsildar M.Kalimuthu, who was also the Assistant Returning Officer for Melur Assembly Constituency, during the State Assembly elections. The charge sheet, running over 100 pages, was submitted to the Judicial Magistrate Court in Melur on August 22.
On April 1, Mr. Kalimuthu got information that Mr. Alagiri and his supporters had gathered in Sri Valladikarar Swamy in Vellaloor village near Melur. The official, along with his videographer, rushed to the spot while Mr. Alagiri was inside the temple, holding talks with the local representatives to seek the support for DMK candidate R. Rani who was contesting for the Melur seat.
When the videographer started recording the proceedings inside the temple, the DMK men, including Union secretary of the DMK A. Raghupathy, Deputy Mayor of Madurai Corporation P. M. Mannan, and others, had shouted at the videographer, asking him not to record. It was reported that the videographer handed over the camera to the tahsildar and ran away. The tahsildar was allegedly abused and assaulted by Mr. Alagiri and his men .
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He had lodged a complaint with the Police, based on which a case was registered against Mr. Alagiri and his men on several sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) including section 147 (for unlawful assembly), 332 (assault on government official), 353 (preventing government official from discharging duties), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), read with 114 (abetment of offence) and 149 (common criminal intention).
The tahsildar later retracted his statement and stated that he was not abused and assaulted by Mr. Alagiri and his men. He said the squabble was because he entered the temple wearing footwear.