CHENNAI: The CB-CID wing of the Tamil Nadu police has formed four special teams to trace KV Kuppam MLA ‘Poovai’ M Jagan Moorthy, who is on the run after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Madras High Court on Friday in the alleged teenage boy abduction case. The Puratchi Bharatham Katchi president is accused of being involved in the abduction of the boy from Tiruvallur district last month.
The HC on Friday accepted the submission of the CB-CID that the custodial interrogation of the MLA was necessary for the probe. The counsel for Moorthy had submitted that the MLA was being falsely implicated in the case due to political motive and there was no need to arrest him as he was ready to cooperate with the inquiry.
Police sources said the four teams, each led by an assistant commissioner, will be fanning out to different parts of the state to arrest the MLA.
Moorthy, an ally of the opposition party AIADMK, is technically an AIADMK MLA since he contested the 2021 elections under the AIADMK’s ‘two-leaves’ symbol.
The Tiruvallur police began investigating the case, registered at the Thiruvalangadu station, earlier this month after the mother of the victim called the emergency control room. The boy was allegedly kidnapped to find the whereabouts of his elder brother.
‘ADGP vehicle used for abducting teen’
The boy’s brother had married a girl from a different caste in Theni district despite stiff opposition from her affluent family. The couple went underground after registering their marriage, fearing repercussions.
Police have so far arrested the girl’s father Vanaraja, his brother Manikandan (49), another relative Ganesan (47), a former cop named Maheshwari, and Sarath Kumar, a lawyer.
Inquiries conducted with some of the arrested persons and other evidence such as call records revealed the alleged involvement of Moorthy and H M Jayaram, an ADGP-rank IPS officer, according to police. Sources also alleged that Jayaram’s official vehicle was used in the abduction. The officer is currently under suspension.