KARUR: Aravakurichi MLA K C Palanisamy (DMK) was arrested on Monday on the basis of the complaint lodged by a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) that Palanisamy indulged in illegal sand mining on the Cauvery river bed. Palanisamy (77) of Anna Nagar in Karur, a member of the DMK Assets Protection Committee, allegedly quarried sand under benami names. Neelamegam, VAO incharge of Mayanur, on September 13, addressed a complaint to R Mookan, Krishnarayapuram Tahsildar, and Marimuthu, Kulithalai RDO. According to the complaint, the Government has not authorised sand mining in the Cauvery bed and the poromboke lands in Mayanur. However, Palanisamy and his supporters Sundaresan, Girirajan, Raviraja, Raja, Sasikumar and Kumar, illegally mined sand in Survey Nos 1, 142, 15 and 30 from December 1 2009 and May 13, 2011. “When I questioned them, they are threatening me,” Neelamegam said. Mookan and Marimuthu forwarded the complaint to the Mayanur police station for action on September 14. Superintendent of Police P Nagarajan, Deputy Superintendents of Police K Manoharan and S M Elangovan conducted an inquiry. Police later filed a case against Palanisamy and others under sections relating to causing detriment to duty of government servants, causing damage to public property and unauthorised mining of minerals. They also launched a search for Palanisamy. Based on a tip-off that Palanisamy was hiding in a spinning mill he owned at Mayanur, police arrested him on Monday. Later in the day, Palanisamy was produced at the Court of the Judicial Magistrate number 2 of Kulithalai, A Dhanasekaran, who remanded Palanisamy to 15-days custody. The MLA is now lodged at the Central Prison, Tiruchy. Advocates owing allegiance to the DMK appeared for Palanisamy and appealed for Class-I jail facilities citing health grounds and the plea was granted. Palanisamy said he would handle the case as per provisions of the law.
Comments
0 comment