Alagiri, over 50 DMK men booked for assault on poll official

Madurai, Apr 2: Union Minister and senior DMK leader M K Alagiri along with 52 other partymen has been booked by police in connection with the alleged assault of an election official and a videographer at a village in the district.

Tahsildar M Kalimuthu, who is the Assistant Returning Officer for Melur Assembly segment, and a videographer, part of a flying squad, were allegedly assaulted by DMK activists when they videographed Alagiri''s visit to a temple in Keelavalavu in Melur taluk yesterday, police said.

A case was registered against Alagiri, son of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Melur Union Secretary Raghupathy, Madurai Deputy Mayor P M Mannan and 50 others for offences under the IPC including unlawful assembly, waylaying and assaulting government servant and violating prohibitory orders.

The case was registered last night on a complaint from the tahsildhar.

Earlier, about 300 revenue department officials staged a dharna here demanding the arrest of Mannan, Raghupathy and another person for allegedly roughing up the official and the videographer.

As the incident took place in the presence of the Union Minister, he should also be inquired in the case, Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials Association District President Sadhasivam and state Vice-President Gnana Gunalan said.

Alagiri, the DMK South Zone Organising Secretary, had gone to the temple where the flying squad too arrived and started videographing his visit.

Annoyed at this, the DMK men allegedly roughed up the videographer and the thasildar besides threatening and forcing them to leave the area. As the situation turned tense, police personnel escorted the squad out of the temple, police said.

The revenue officials association also demanded proper protection for the officials on election and threatened to boycott the work if the accused were not arrested.

Kalimuthu had gone to the spot as per the Election Commission directive. "We only did our duty. But DMK functionaries intimidated us, abused and roughed up," he said.

PTI