Family members of late Veerapandi S Armugam, former Minister for Agriculture, surrendered in the Salem Judicial Magistrate Court II and obtained a conditional bail in the Ariyanur Cooperative Service Society land grab case.
Totally, 18 persons, including Veerapandi Raja, son of the former Minister and former MLA of Veerapandi constituency, his wife and his brother’s wife were named as accused in the case filed by one Palanisamy in 2011.
They were charged with buying a piece of land belonging to the Cooperative Service Society for a low price.
The kin of Veerapandi Arumugam, who were members of the society, conducted a fake auction to sell the land and a few of them bought the land at a low price. The deal reportedly took place during the DMK regime and a case was filed in this connection after the AIADMK returned to power in 2011.
Veerapandi Raja, his wife Shanthy and Brinda Chelian daughter-in-law of the former Minister moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
The High Court, while disposing of the petition, ordered Veerapandi Raja, his wife and the Minister’s daugher-in-law to get the bail subject to stipulated conditions from the Judicial Magistrate Court II in Salem.
As per the order Arumugam’s kin appeared before the magistrate, who granted bail on the condition that Veerapandi Raja should sign at the Central Crime Branch Office, Salem every day.