Assault case: Former Union Minister M K Alagiri asked to be present in court on Dec 16

Madurai, Dec 3: A court ordered former Union Minister M K Alagiri and his 19 supporters to be present in court for hearing in a case relating to the assault of a tehsildhar during the 2011 Assembly elections.

Melur Magistrate K V Mahendra Boopathy ordered Alagiri and 19 others, who had been arraigned as accused in the case, to appear before the court on December 16.

Alagiri, now expelled from the DMK, was campaigning in Melur assembly constituency, falling within Madurai district, during the 2011 assembly election when he and his supporters gathered at a temple in Vellaloor village.

On a tip off, tahsildar M Kalimuthu, who was also the assistant returning officer for the Melur assembly constituency, arrived at the temple along with a videographer. When the videographer began to record the DMK meeting, agitated Alagiri supporters allegedly abused and heckled the tahsildar.

Police registered a case against them for assaulting tehsildhar Kalimuthu during the election campaign.

PTI