AIADMK former Lok Sabha MP KC Palanisamy, who was removed from the party in March 2018, was arrested in Coimbatore on Saturday early morning allegedly for misusing party name and symbol.
He was arrested by the police based on a complaint from Kandhavel, president of Muthukavundanpudur village panchayat near Sulur in Coimbatore. In his complaint Kandhavel alleged that KC Palanisamy of misusing the party flag and symbol without being a member of the party.
Based on the complaint, Sulur police registered a case against him under eleven sections on Friday night and detained him on Saturday early morning from his residence near Lawly Road in the city. Later he was taken to Magistrate’s house for remand proceedings, sources added.
Palanisamy was booked under sections 417, 418, 419, 464, 465, 468, 479, 481, 482, 485, 511 of IPC read with 66 C, 66 D of IT Act.
Palanisamy was removed from the party in March 2018 after he urged the party to back a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led central government, if it did not take a favourable stand on the Cauvery issue. Later he met Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in presence of Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in March 2019. And it was expected that he could have been reinducted into the party. However, the AIADMK party functionaries said that he was not reinducted into the party.
Palanisamy, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989 from Tiruchengode constituency, was also former MLA from Kangeyam assembly constituency.
According to police sources, KC Palanisamy used the party name and symbol, attended functions giving speeches and later uploaded them in an online portal. He also used the party name and symbol to recruit membership for the party using a mobile application.