CHENNAI: The contradictory 'kidnap' claims of Karthick's Akila Indhiya Nadalum Makkal Katchi (AINMK) candidate sent the city police into a tizzy on Friday.
It began with the actor alleging on Thursday that his party candidate, Arivarasan, who was selected to contest from Bodinayakannur in Theni district, had withdrawn from the fray at the behest of the AIADMK. He also claimed that AIADMK men had 'kidnapped' two other candidates from Chennai and threatened them with a pistol.
A complaint was lodged by one of the candidates, Veeranna Raju, who is contesting from Usilampatti, at the Anna Salai police station on Thursday. Raju alleged that he was staying with Arivarasan and the party's Kambam candidate Ravichandran in a lodge at Royapettah on March 29.
It was night and they were asleep, when Arivarasan woke them and insisted that they must leave immediately for Theni. They got into a car near the hotel and there were two other men inside the vehicle.
As the car speeded towards Dindigul, Raju said the duo, dropping the name of a senior AIADMK leader, asked Ravichandran and him to withdraw from the electoral fray. And when they refused, they took out a pistol and threatened them. When his pregnant wife called him over the cell phone, they prevented him from answering it. Later, he and Ravichandran were asked to get down near Dindigul.
However, the police said the complaint was withdrawn by Raju on Friday morning, claiming that they were neither kidnapped nor threatened. He had been forced to file such a complaint by Karthick, he alleged. When the cops called Ravichandran over the phone, he too denied any kidnap bid. Both blamed only Arivarasan for betraying the party, the police said.