DGP rules out PMK functionary Guru's arrest

Chennai, Jun 23 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) K P Jain today denied reports that Vanniyar leader and PMK functioanry ''Kaduvetti'' Guru, whose violent speeches against the DMK leaders led to the ouster of the PMK from the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), would be arrested.

Asked about reports that Guru would be arrested for his recent speeches against the state government, bureaucrats and other officials, Mr Jain said no complaint had been lodged against him so far.

''Nobody, including the IAS Officers Association, which took objections to Guru's scathing attack on bureaucrats, had lodged a complaint against him. Hence, there is no need for police to register a case against Guru or arrest him,'' he added.

The rumours of Guru being arrested any moment gained credence especially after the DMK shut the doors on PMK and expelled it from the DPA for his derogatory remarks against senior DMK leaders. He had also threatened to behead some of them.

Asked about the Madras High Court's remarks against police indulging in kangaroo courts, ('Katta Panchayat') Mr Jain said there was no confirmed instance of any police official involved in solving civil disputes through such courts.

''If any police official is found to be indulging in such practices, he would be pulled up and punished,'' he warned and directed police to duly register the complaints and conduct proper investigations.

Referring to the seizure of empty cartridges and ammunitions with foreign markings at suburban Gummidipoondi, he said it had no connection with any terrorist outfits or terrorist activities.

''The material got mixed up along with the iron scrap material imported from foreign countries,'' he said and added the investigations by police confirmed this.

On the recent hooch tragedies in the state, he said more than 50,000 illicit liquor peddlers have been arrested so far and 282 of them were detained under the Goondas Act.

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