Bullet proof car to Jaya: TN informs HC

Chennai, Nov 6: A bullet proof car was given to former Chief Minister and AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa, who was under 'Z' Plus security category, on November 3, the Tamil Nadu government told the Madras High Court.

This was conveyed in an affidavit filed by State Home Secretary S Malathi last evening on a writ petition filed by the AIADMK leader seeking Z Plus category security measures.

In the affidavit, Ms Malathi said the bullet-proof vehicle, along with a driver, was handed over to V Kuppuraj, Inspector and Personal Security Officer of Ms Jayalalithaa, under proper acknowledgment.

''This is proof enough to show the Government's commitment in providing security to Ms Jayalalithaa, as per the Z Plus category with NSG cover,'' she added.

Reiterating that an armed police guard of 2-plus-8 with two armed sentries were on duty round the clock at her Poes Garden residence, the Home Secretary said police teams were investigating the recent incident of a man trespassing into her high-security residence.

Denying Ms Jayalalithaa's charge of ''deep-rooted conspiracy with the connivance of policemen'' as baseless and false, Ms Malathi said action would be taken against the policemen concerned if there was evidence of lapses in discharging their legitimate duties.

Following the recent incident of intrusion in her residence, the AIADMK leader alleged conspiracy on her life and said she had escaped by the grace of God.

Ms Jayalalithaa alleged that the DMK government had never allotted a bullet-proof car to her and that she had never refused one.

Denying her charge as a blatant lie, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi quoted a letter written on November 4, 2003, by the then Additional Director General of Police K Natarajan to the Public Department Deputy Secretary, which stated that efforts were on to acquire a new bullet proof vehicle as the Ambassador bullet proof cars provided by the government to the Chief Minister were found to be ''not convenient.''

UNI