CHENNAI: The Chennai city police arrested former AIADMK Minister D Jayakumar for instigating clashes in a polling booth on Saturday.
Earlier on Monday, the police registered two separate cases against Jayakumar and cadres for poll violence. He was arrested by a team of police from his residence in South Leith Castle Road in Santhome. Police sources said that Jayakumar was taken to the Nungambakkam Police station for enquiry and was expected to be produced before a magistrate by late Monday night.
A video that was reportedly taken during the arrest of Jayakumar went viral on social media on Monday. In the video, Jayakumar and his family members are seen arguing with the police personnel. The police team led by the deputy commissioner of police Sundaravadhanam tried to pacify the family and later read out the particulars of the FIR as demanded by the family.
Later, police officials detained Jayakumar in their vehicle and took him to the Nungambakkam police station for further questioning.
Jayakumar's son and former MP Jayavardhan and other AIADMK workers followed the police vehicle and staged a protest outside the Nungambakkam police station on Monday night. Attempts to block the police vehicle from entering station premises was thwarted by a huge force of Armed Reserve personnel.
Traffic turned at a snail pace on Nungambakkam High Road as AIADMK cadres conducted protests and raised slogans against the DMK government. The police personnel detained Jayavardhan and other AIADMK workers at a community hall.
The Tondiarpet police on Monday morning booked Jayakumar and 20 others under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with a deadly weapon), 294 (b) (obscene language), 153 (provocation to cause riot), 355 (assault), 323 (hurting), 324 (hurt by dangerous weapons), 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) of IPC and three more sections of The Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act. Royapuram police have also registered a case against him under 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269, 270 (negligent act to spread infection), of IPC and City Police Act.
In a video that went viral on social media, Jayakumar can be seen confronting a DMK cadre, who was later identified as Naresh, while other AIADMK cadres held him. Police said Jayakumar himself had shared about the incident on his Facebook post.
"Naresh who was a polling agent for DMK picked up a quarrel with Jayakumar's followers as the former minister's car entered the polling booth with the party flag," said an investigation officer.
Soon after Naresh was attacked, other DMK cadres started to gather on the spot and Jayakumar fled away. However, a few men nabbed Jayakumar's driver and allegedly assaulted him, said the police. Jayakumar's driver has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Adyar. Tondiarpet police have also registered another case against unidentified men who attacked Jayakumar's driver.
Meanwhile, New Washermenpet police have arrested a 19-year-old youth on the charges of breaking R K Nagar MLA Ebenezer's car windshield on Saturday. S Sakthivel (19) of New Washermenpet was arrested and remanded.
DMK cadres arrested
Meanwhile three DMK cadres who allegedly attacked former AIADMK Minister D Jayakumar's driver Jeganathan were arrested by city police. Tondiarpet police registered a case on Monday after receiving a complaint from Jeganathan who is admitted in the hospital. The accused T Kurinjinathan, K Sridhar and N Sudhakar from Chennai were arrested and are yet to be remanded. On Saturday after D Jayakumar and his followers attacked a DMK cadre, the trio cornered Jayakumar's driver and attacked him leaving with serious injuries, said the police.