KRISHNAGIRI: A DMK councillor under the Hosur City Municipal Corporation (HCMC) was arrested on Sunday on charges of lending money to a couple for exorbitant interest rate and threatening them to repay the loan.
According to police sources, the complainant S Manasa (35) of Chinna Elasagiri works as an accountant at a company, owned by her husband Suresh Babu, at SIPCOT.
In the period between 2021 to 2024, Suresh Babu had taken a loan from DMK corporation councillor NS Madheswaran (56) of Hosur to the tune of Rs 1.20 crore by pledging documents from his chit fund. Following this, they allegedly repaid Rs 2.30 crore till Saturday.
On May 15, Madheshwaran along with his son Cheran, allegedly went to the complainant's house and asked them to pay the remaining Rs 1.07 crore. They also threatened the couple and illegally confined Suresh to a hotel room near Hosur.
After paying around Rs 35 lakh on the same day, Suresh was released and three women, who were stationed at the couple's house, also left the spot following the transaction.
On Saturday night, Manasa lodged a complaint at SIPCOT police station, where a case was booked under BNS sections 329 (4), 296 (b), 351 (2), 308 (2), 127 (2), and sections of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act r/w The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, 2003.
Madheshwaran is also an office bearer in DMK's art and literary wing. Following the arrest, many DMK former and incumbent MLAs, including HCMC deputy mayor and political party cadres thronged to the police station. SIPCOT Inspector Syed Mubarak arrested Madheshwaran and a search is on for his absconding son.