Former DMK minister and MLA of Aathur constituency, I Periasamy, was arrested on Monday by the Dindigul police for unauthorised quarrying in a government-owned quarry.
Earlier in the day, Periasamy presented himself at the Dindigul Town Deputy Superintendent of Police office, after coming to know that he was wanted for an inquiry. He was then taken to Koombur police station in Vedasandur taluk.
After questioning him for over five hours, the Koombur police added him as a second accused in a case of causing loss to the State exchequer by unauthorisedly quarrying in a State-owned quarry.
He was arrested subsequently and produced before Nilakkottai Judicial Magistrate Anuradha, who remanded him to 15 days’ judicial custody.
The magistrate also issued orders for producing him on Wednesday in the court. Later, the former minister was taken to the Tiruchy Central Prison.
On Friday, the police arrested P C Muralitharan, the Aathur Union Secretary of DMK, on charges of causing loss to the state exchequer to the tune of `30 lakh by unauthorisedly quarrying stones on Kuttikaradu hillock at Pattiveeranpatti.
Following the arrest of Muralitharan police entered the house of Periasamy in Govindapuram in Dindigul. It was alleged that the team entered the house without a search warrant.
A group of irate members of DMK detained the police team in the house of the former minister by bolting the gate from outside. They were released after a team of DMK lawyers pacified the them.