TN Minister refutes Jaya's charges on sandalwood smuggling

Chennai, May 8 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Forest Minister N Selvaraj today refuted the allegations of Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa over the involvement of Agriculture Minister Veerapandi Arumugam's family members in a incident of sandalwood smuggling.

In an official release here tonight, Mr Selvaraj, narrating the sequence of events, said the incident occurred on a private estate at Vasampadi Village in Arcot Taluk.

In 1995, there was a dispute between the estate owners following which a court appointed two receivers.

On April ten this year, the Forest Department personnel along with the police seized a tempo and a lorry carrying 5,560 kg sandalwood from the estate at the Arcot Hills.

Following a complaint from Estate Manager R Jayamkondan, a case was registered under IPC and 34 persons arrested and sent to jail.

Under a court order, the seized sandalwood was handed over to the Forest Department which kept the logs in the Asthambadi Godown.

The Forest Department was presently investigating the case.

The incident took place in a private estate and not from the forest, he clarified and recalled instances when similar incidents took place during the AIADMK regime in the same estate.

''The same procedure was now being followed in this case by the government,'' Mr Selvaraj clarified and said people would realise the 'inner' motive of Ms Jayalalithaa in bringing disrepute to the Karunanidhi Government by issuing such false statements daily.

UNI