HMK leader remanded to judicial custody

Tiruchirapalli, Dec 23: Hindu Makkal Katchi state president A Arjun Sampath (HMK), arrested on charges of instigating his party workers to damage the Periyar E V Ramasamy statue at Srirangam recently, was remanded to 15-day judicial custody here today.

Amidt tight police security, Sampath was brought to the residence of Judicial Magistrate III Ms Thilagam, who remanded him to judicial custody. Later, he was lodged at Tiruchirapalli Central Prison.

Police sources said Sampath would be booked under National Security Act (NSA), 1980. Already, city police invoked NSA against five HMK functionaries in connection with statue desecration.

A special police team from Tiruchirapalli, led by Srirangam Police Inspector Govindararajan, arrested Sampath at Pollachi yesterday following the arrest warrant issued in connection with the statue vandalisation on December seven.

It might be recalled that four HMK functionaries allegedly damaged the statue installed by the Dravidar Kazhagam near the Rajagopuram (prime temple tower) of the Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple at Srirangam.

They protested against the statue installation stating that the atheist slogans inscribed on the pedestal would hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Many Hindu organisations too expressed protests against the installation. The state had witnessed sporadic violence in the aftermath of the statue desecration.

UNI