Minor's abduction: ADGP held on Madras HC directive, MLA reprimanded
The officer was on court premises as the court had earlier summoned him and KV Kuppam MLA M Jagan Moorthy to be present for the hearing in the anticipatory bail petition moved by the latter
(L-R)KV Kuppam MLA M Jagan Moorthy, senior IPS officer ADGP (Armed Police) HM Jayaram
CHENNAI: In a dramatic turn of events, senior IPS officer ADGP (Armed Police) HM Jayaram was arrested from the Madras High Court premises on Monday following directions from the court in connection with the abduction of a minor boy in Tiruvallur last month.
The officer was on court premises as the court had earlier summoned him and KV Kuppam MLA M Jagan Moorthy to be present for the hearing in the anticipatory bail petition moved by the latter.
The minor boy, who was abducted and let off, is the younger brother of a man who married a woman from Theni against the wishes of her parents. Five persons, including the woman's father and a former policewoman, were already arrested by the Tiruvallur district police in connection with the kidnapping case.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jayaram had allegedly lent his official vehicle to the arrested persons, which led to the action against him, police sources said.
On Saturday (June 14), commotion prevailed outside KV Kuppam MLA M Jagan Moorthy's residence in Andersonpet after police teams landed at his doorstep to inquire about his alleged role in the abduction. However, the legislator's supporters, several hundred cadres of Puthiya Bharatham Katchi, prevented police from entering the house, and the standoff lasted for several hours, during which the legislator managed to flee and subsequently moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
M Jagan Moorthy alias "Poovai" Jagan Moorthy is the president of Puratchi Bharatham and is part of the AIADMK alliance.
On Monday, when the MLA's anticipatory bail petition came up for hearing, Justice P Velmurugan orally reprimanded the legislator for indulging in kangaroo courts and directed him to cooperate with the police inquiry.
Meanwhile, family members of the abducted boy gave media interviews stating they were not aware of the MLA's involvement and said they did not file a complaint against him. The couple, whose marriage triggered the events, have been given protection by the police. Dhanush (23) and Vijayashree (21) got married against the wishes of the woman's parents.
Vijayashree's family, who had been searching for her, had traced Dhanush's residence and, after learning that he was away, kidnapped his younger brother in a car to find the whereabouts of the couple and let him off later.
Based on a complaint by the family members, Tiruvallur district police had already arrested five persons, including the woman's father, Vanaraja (55), Manikandan (49), Ganesan (47) — all three from Theni and Sarath, a lawyer and Mahehswari, a former policewoman.
