A member of the banned Tamil Nadu Retrieval Troops (TNRP) Raju (35) alias Selvam of Melakudiyiruppu near Jayankondam, who, as an associate of the sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, had abducted Kannada thespian Rajkumar from his farmhouse at Thalavadi in 2000, was arrested from his residence by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in a late night operation on Wednesday.The ATS carried out the operation under the directions of the Ariyalur Superintendent of Police Najmul Hoda, on a tip-off.
Raju had jumped bail in the case of the 2004 murder of the functionary of Veera Vanniyar Peravai, Arivalagan, who was earlier the co-founder of Tamilar Needi Katchi, at his native Vallam village in Kuvagam Police Station limits.
The Principal District Sessions court of Perambalur had issued an arrest warrant against Raju, the second accused in the case, on April 18, 2009. Of the 14 persons named as accused in the case, the PMK Ariyalur district secretary Vaithialingam is the first accused.
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The other cases in which Raju was named accused include the 1998 storming of the Vellitiruppur police station in Erode district and looting arms; and abduction and extortion of money from a businessman of Karaikudi in Sivaganga district in the same year.
Raju was produced before the court of the Perambalur Principal District Sessions Judge and remanded to custody at the Tiruchi Central Jail.