SALEM: Social activist V Piyush Sethia alias Piyush Manush was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attacking his house owner Asha Kumari (53), who claimed that the attack was perpetrated after she questioned Manush for not vacating the house since 2018.
Kumari alleged that the activist also failed to pay rent in the last nine months.
However, Manush's wife Monika said they have paid the rent promptly, besides renovating the house at a cost of Rs 4 lakh. Monika alleged that Manush was arrested by the police due to external pressure.
According to Kannankurichi police, the 43-year-old activist, a resident of YCC Road near Yercaud Foothills in Salem City, has been residing in a rented house owned by Kumari, a resident of Bengaluru.
Ever since her husband's death in 2018, the house owner has been asking Manush to vacate the house as she wanted to move to Salem. But the latter had allegedly denied to do so, police said.
"On Monday, Kumari, along with her daughter Akhansha (29) and son-in-law Chandan Kumar (32), went to the house and asked Manush to vacate the house. A quarrel broke out and Manush allegedly pulled down Kumari, who claimed to have sustained injuries in her hand. On information, Kannankurichi police reached the spot and pacified the both side," the police said.
However, Kumari lodged a complaint with Kannankurichi police and submitted a petition at Salem Collectorate. She also submitted a petition to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at his residence on Tuesday. Following this, on Wednesday afternoon, police took Manush to Kannankurichi police station for an inquiry. A case was registered against him, under IPC sections for usage of obscene language in public place, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and under section 4 of Women Harassment Act, and Manush was arrested.