MADURAI:SR Maruthu aka Nallamaruthu, a life convict in the 1997 Leelavathi murder case and a close aide of MK Alagiri once, was sent back to Madurai Central Prison on Saturday after the government cancelled his premature release in 2008. He was involved in several criminal cases after he was set free.
In a discreet operation, Maruthu was picked up from his house in Avaniyapuram area early morning Saturday by Madurai district police and sent directly to prison.
Police sources said though the order cancelling his release came to the district police three days ago, secrecy was paramount to ensure that Maruthu did not escape. Even Madurai City police, under whose jurisdiction Avaniyapuram had been brought since 2015, was in the dark till Maruthu was nabbed.
K Leelavathi, a CPI (M) worker from a humble background and a councillor of Madurai Corporation ward 59, was murdered in broad daylight in Villapuram area on April 23, 1997. She was murdered by supporters of the DMK candidate who lost the Corporation elections against her.
Maruthu and five others were sentenced to life imprisonment by an Additional Sessions Court in 2000. The sentence was confirmed by the Madras High Court in 2003.
While one of the five convicts died in prison in 2004, five others including Maruthu were released for good conduct by the then DMK regime in 2008 as part of Arignar Anna’s birth centenary celebrations, despite strong protests by the left parties.
Police sources said prisoners released based on reports of good conduct during such special occasions should not get involved in any criminal case for at least three years.
However, Maruthu was charge-sheeted in a murder case in April 2009 within Avaniapuram police limits along with his elder brother SR Gopi and a few others. He was also booked in some other criminal cases over the next few years.
Police sources said about two years ago, when V Balakrishnan was the Superintendent of Police, Madurai, a recommendation was made to the government to cancel Maruthu’s premature release considering his continuing involvement in criminal cases. However, the arrest order was issued only now after the recommendation was approved.
Although, Maruthu and Gopi shifted their loyalty to the MK Stalin camp recently, they were close aides of MK Alagiri until his expulsion from the party in 2014.