Manush denies charge

Activist Piyush Manush has refuted the charge of assault levelled against him by an office-bearer of an activist group.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, Mr. Manush said that he went to Nilavarapatti village on Friday evening on a call from Chinraj, a ruling party panchayat councillor, to study the alleged illegal mining operation by A.B. Manikandan, a district panchayat councillor, also belonging to the ruling party.

Mr. Manush visited the site opposite Chamundi nagar at the foothills of Uthumalai where stone crushing work was going on and a nearby stream was filled up with debris.

He said that he left the spot after taking a few pictures.

While returning to the city, he brought the issue to the notice of C. Vijay Babu, Revenue Divisional Officer, over phone. The RDO informed him that he had already directed the police to register a case against those involved in illegal mining and added that he would depute a revenue team to inspect the site again.

Mr. Manush said that he was shocked when he learnt that Viswanathan, district president of Desiya Makkal Iyakkam - an activist group, who also works as Manikandan’s manager, got himself admitted to Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital after preferring a police complaint against him.

This is a clear case of misrepresentation of fact, he added.

Mr. Viswanathan in his complaint had alleged that Mr. Manush and two others assaulted him with stones, when he questioned them for taking pictures and videographing of renovation works underway at Manikandan’s house.