COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Rural Police arrested DMK south district in-charge Thendral S Selvaraj (59) and his personal assistant on charges of making a defamatory speech against Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani and Kinathukadavu Constituency MLA A Shanmugam during a protest at Singaiyampudur in the outskirts of the city on Sunday
Based on a complaint filed by Kinathukadavu MLA Shanmugam, the Aliyar Police arrested the duo under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule), 283 (Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 341 (wrongful restraint), 294 (b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 224 (Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), 225 (b) (Resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension, or escape), 506 (2) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC and also under section 3 (1) of Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992.
According to police, on May 26, Thendral Selvaraj organised a group of people near Singaiyanpudur bus stop and held a protest claiming that sand, gravel and liquor bottles were being smuggled to Kerala through Veerappagoundanur check post with the Minister SP Velumani and MLA Shanmugam's support.
The police said that he defamed the minister and MLA and later the content was allegedly shared on WhatsApp and Facebook by his personal assistant Keerthi Anand.
Following the complaint, Thendral Selvaraj and his assistant were arrested from his house at Pollachi on Saturday night. Later they were produced before Magistrate of Pollachi before they were lodged into sub-jail at Gobichettipalayam, Erode on Sunday morning.
Before his arrest, the DMK cadre led by Singanallur constituency MLA N Karthik gathered at Thendral Selvaraj's house and opposed the police's action. They claimed that it was an act of political vendetta.