TN: Former AIADMK minister D. Jayakumar arrested for poll-related violence

Party condemns arrest, says DMK is afraid of defeat

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R A day after the urban local body polls in Tamil Nadu was marred by fake voting and brazen violence, former AIADMK minister D. Jayakumar was arrested from his house in North Chennai in connection with the poll-related violence.

The former minister and 40 other AIADMK cadres have been booked under various sections of the IPC for instigating violence in 49th ward in North Chennai.

During the urban local body polls on Saturday, a video of the former minister parading a man shirtless, with his hands tied to the back, went viral. Jayakumar had accused Mahesh, a DMK member, of electoral malpractice.

As the verbal fight between the ruling DMK and the AIADMK got out of hand, Mahesh was surrounded by the AIADMK workers and he was forced to remove his shirt. The AIADMK cadres, along with the former minister, tied his hands using his shirt and he was paraded down the street.

On Monday, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in a letter to the DMK cadre, said, “Not just the shirt, a time will come a when you will be undressed.”

Later in the evening, Jayakumar was booked under Sections 147, 148, 294 (b), 153, 355, 323, 324, 506 (ii) IPC r/w. 4 AA (1a), 4AA (4) of TNOPPD Act  and 188, 269,270,41(VI) CP Act, for causing violence, rioting, assault, verbal abuse and criminal intimidation. Jayakumar was taken to the Nungambakkam police station and later produced before the Egmore magisterial court.

Jayakumar’s arrest sent shock waves among the leaders in opposition AIADMK. Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palanisami condemned the arrest and said the DMK is engaging in such activities “due to the fear of defeat.” He asked, “How it is wrong to nab and handover criminals to police?”