

KARUR: Two DMK functionaries were on Monday arrested for allegedly forcing a woman to part with her 71-cent land for a paltry sum and issuing her life threats.
According to a petition, submitted to Superintendent of Police (SP) Nagarajan, by Parvathy (42), former DMK secretary Vasuki Murugesan, husband R Murugesan, brother and youth wing organiser V S K Ravikumar, mother Malaiyammal, and relatives N Sankar, M Kannaiyan and Chinnappan tried to arm-twist her into handing over to them her 71-cent agricultural land in Dalavapalayam at much below the market price. When she refused to give in, they allegedly threatened her with dire consequences, including falsely implicating her in a ganja possession case.
Parvathy finally yielded to their threats and agreed to sell the land for `10 lakh. At the time of registration on July 16, 2007, though, she was paid only `1.24 lakh. She was coerced through promises that the rest of the payment would be made in a month. But a month later, all she got were fresh life threats.
Parvathy also alleged that the police had sat on her complaints.
The Superintendent of Police forwarded the petition to Deputy Superintendent of Police, who is probing land grab complaints.
A police investigation corroborated with Parvathy’s claim, based on which Ravikumar and Murugesan were arrested and ordered by the Judicial Magistrate Court II to be remanded in custody for 15 days. They are lodged in the Tiruchy Central Prison.