Kidnap case: MLA Jaganmoorthy escapes as police land at doorsteps
Jaganmoorthy is the president of Puratchi Bharatham and is part of the AIADMK alliance. Police sources said Jaganmoorthy allegedly escaped from the house. "We are searching for him," a police official said.
Credit: MLA Jaganmoorthy's X post
CHENNAI: Tension prevailed at the residence of KV Kuppam MLA M Jaganmoorthy alias "Poovai" Jaganmoorthy in Andersonpet in neighbouring Tiruvallur district on Saturday after police reached his residence to inquire his alleged involvement in a kidnapping case.
Jaganmoorthy is the president of Puratchi Bharatham and is part of the AIADMK alliance. Police sources said Jaganmoorthy allegedly escaped from the house. "We are searching for him," a police official said.
The case pertains to the kidnap of the younger brother of 23-year-old Dhanush from a village near Thiruvalangadu who eloped with a girl from Theni district. Dhanush works at a private firm in Chennai and developed a relationship with the girl after getting acquainted with her through social media.
The duo got married at a sub-registrar's office in the last week of May and have been hiding since then.
The girl's family members, who have been searching for her, traced the boyfriend's residence. After learning that he was away, they kidnapped his younger brother in a car to inquire about the whereabouts of the couple.
Based on a complaint by the family members, the Tiruvallur district police arrested five persons, including the girl's father, who kidnapped the minor boy. The arrested persons were identified as Vanaraja (55), the girl's father, Manikandan (49), and Ganesan (47) - all from Theni – and Sarath, a lawyer, and Mahehswari, a former policewoman.
Police sources said that the gang had posed as law enforcement officers to kidnap the minor boy. Based on the inputs provided by the arrested persons, a police team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) went to Jaganmoorthy's residence to inquire about his alleged involvement in the case, but were faced with resistance.
Getting wind of police approaching Jaganmoorthy's house, hundreds of his supporters gathered outside his residence and raised slogans against the police asking them to leave. Additional strength was deployed outside the MLA's house, and several supporters were detained.
Condemning the attempt to arrest the MLA, Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswamy accused the DMK government of trying to scare AIADMK’s alliance partners and force them to join the ruling alliance. Targeting Jaganmoorthy was an act of vengeance against the Opposition, he said.
