CHENNAI: The neighbourhood of Andersonpet in Tiruvallur district on Saturday witnessed high drama as a group of policemen arrived at the residence of ‘Poovai’ M Jagan Moorthy, incumbent KV Kuppam MLA and president of Puratchi Bharatham party, an ally of the AIADMK, to take him into custody for an inquiry regarding his alleged involvement in an abduction case.
Police sources said Jagan Moorthy escaped and that they were continuing their search for him. The police team, led by the jurisdictional DSP, had to contend with around 50 to 100 angry party cadre who raised slogans against them and asked them to leave.
The case pertains to the alleged abduction of the 16-year-old younger brother of a 23-year-old man from a village in Thiruvallur district. This was after the man fell in love with a 21-year-old from Theni district after the two met online. They registered their marriage last month without the consent of the girl’s parents. Fearing opposition from her family, they have gone underground since.
Around two weeks ago, a gang allegedly abducted the 16-year-old, prompting his mother to call the police control room. While the boy was released, based on his mother’s complaint, the policemen arrested three men - Vanaraja (55), the girl’s father, Manikandan (49) and Ganesan (47) from Theni district - on June 4.
The police later arrested two more persons - Sharath and Maheshwari, who reportedly pointed at the MLA during the interrogation. Police sources said this led them to arrest and question the MLA regarding his involvement in the case.
More than 100 policemen from the Avadi commissionerate and Tiruvallur district were deployed to the MLA’s house, anticipating a pushback from the cadre. Puratchi Bharatham cadre also protested near Maduranthakam in Chengalpattu district and were taken away by the policemen.
The party was founded by Jagan Moorthy’s brother Poovai M Moorthy in the late nineties and emerged as a voice of Dalit assertion against caste issues in the Tiruvallur region.
Jagan Moorthy himself was earlier elected as a DMK MLA by contesting on the party’s symbol in 2006 from the Arakkonam constituency. He won on the AIADMK’s two leaves symbol from the KV Kuppam constituency in 2021.