Inquiry ordered into 'abduction' by TN Minister

Chennai, Jul 25 (UNI) Madras High Court today ordered an inquiry into the kidnapping of three members of a family in Perundurai of Erode district, allegedly by Tamil Nadu Handloom Minister N K K P Raja and his supporters.

A Division Bench, comprising Justices D Murugesan and K Venkataraman, directed the Additional Public Prosecutor to inquire the Erode District Superintendent of Police on the issue and submit a report to the court and posted the case to July 28.

Mr N Elangovan, who filed a habeas corpus petition, said his father-in-law Palanisamy, mother-in-law Malarvizhi and brother-in-law Sivabalan were abducted by the Minister and his supporters on July 23 following a land dispute.

He said his father-in-law owned ten acres of land in Perundurai and the problem arose when the Minister and his men tried to forcibly take possession of the land.

As Palanisamy refused to part with his land after a 'Katta Panchayat' by the Minister, his men had cut coconut trees and demolished a house in the land, before kidnapping the three.

As the Minister enjoyed political clout and influenced the official machinery, police refused to take action on the complaint lodged by their advocate, he said.

Alleging that the three members were in the custody of the Minister, the petitioner sought a direction to the Erode district Superintendent of police to produce them in the court and set them free.

Apart from the Minister, he cited D Sampath Kumar, a close friend of the Minister, and four others as accused in the case.

UNI XR-WS RSA MIR KP1944