City Police Commissioner warns against reselling free CTVs

Chennai, Dec 11 (UNI) Chennai City Police Commissioner G Nanchil Kumaran today warned that those buying colour televisions (CTVs) from the beneficiaries of free CTV scheme for reselling them at a higher price would be detained under the Goondas Act.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the Act would also be slapped on the brokers involved in the racket.

He said he had receired reports that in several places in the city, brokers had lured and intimidated the poor to forcibly sell free CTVs at lower prices to a group of people.

These gangs then sold off the TVs at a higher prices in the neighbouring states.

Nine people, who had purchased colour TVs from the beneficiaries for reselling them at higher price in neighbouring states, had landed in the police net.

Chennai Corporation had requested the police to take strict action against beneficiaries who sold the colour TVs gifted by the DMK government, in keeping with one of the party's populist poll promises that catapulted it to power in the May 2006 Assembly polls.

Under the scheme, free CTVs were distributed to people living below the poverty line throughout the state and in the city, it was being implemented by the Chennai Corporation.

At present, the CTVs were being distributed in North Chennai.

During a raid yesterday to identify and arrest those involved in buying free CTVs from the beneficiaries, police arrested Selvi (35), Akbar Ali (40) and Selvam (45) at New Washermanpet area.

In similar raids, the Chintadripet police seized five CTVs in Ritchie Street in Anna Salai and arrested two people--Murugan and Murali--who had sold the free TVs in the electronics market.

Apart from the five arrested during raids by the special police, four people were arrested and 18 CTVs seized from them.

A detailed probe had been ordered to nab these gangs operating mostly in North Chennai and trace the areas in neigbouring states, where the CTVs were being sold at exorbitant rates.

UNI