The Madras High Court on Monday ordered the arrest of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H M Jayaram and criticised Kilvaithinankuppam (SC) MLA ‘Poovai’ M Jagan Moorthy for “misusing his political power” in connection with the abduction of a teenager.
Justice P Velmurugan directed the police to take the ADGP into custody and proceed as per law, remarking that public servants like Jayaram were “answerable to the public” and that a strong message must go out that “no one is above law”. Jayaram was arrested after he came out of the court building.
The court, which was hearing Jagan Moorthy’s anticipatory bail petition in the afternoon session, refrained from granting any relief to the MLA and instead instructed him to cooperate fully with the investigation. The judge warned that if the MLA failed to do so, strict action would follow.
Justice Velmurugan took the MLA to task for obstructing the investigation and mobilising supporters to prevent the police from carrying out their duty. “You’re not an ordinary person. You have to face things against you. You’re behaving like a third-class person,” the judge said, condemning the legislator for holding what he called “kangaroo courts” instead of working for his constituents.
“Already, the police and ministers have a tie-up. When will you work for the people? You should be a role model for the citizens. The court cannot be a silent spectator when you’re misusing your power and support,” the judge said.
“Let the people know what their votes are doing. This is the right time to know that the democratic country is in a very bad situation. 70,000 people have voted for you, trusted you. Have they voted you to power for holding kangaroo courts?”
The court was responding to details shared by Additional Public Prosecutor A Damodaran, who said that the MLA and the ADGP were “implicated” in the May 10 abduction of an 18-year-old boy in Thiruvallur district. The boy was reportedly abducted by a group seeking information about his elder brother who had married a young woman from Theni district against her family’s wishes.
The judge castigated the MLA for using political muscle to block a lawful investigation. “…Why are your supporters coming to this? Is this politics? If this happens in future, action should be taken against the supporters also,” Justice Velmurugan said.
The case has been filed by the mother of the abducted teenager against a group of men who allegedly entered their house in Kalambakkam searching for her elder son. They allegedly abducted the younger son when the elder brother was nowhere to be found. The abductors allegedly posed as police officers and later dropped the boy near a hotel in a vehicle belonging to ADGP Jayaram, the woman said in her complaint.
The police have so far arrested five persons, including the woman’s father, two of his relatives Manikandan and Ganesan (all from Theni), a lawyer named Sarathkumar and Maheshwari, a dismissed policewoman. All of them have reportedly confessed to acting under the MLA’s instruction. The police informed the court that `7.5 lakh was recovered from the accused and that the minor had suffered injuries during the abduction.
Tensions escalated over the weekend when a DSP-led team arrived at the MLA’s residence in Andersonpet, Tiruvallur district. Jagan Moorthy allegedly fled the scene, while hundreds of his supporters tried to prevent police officers and blocked access to his home. The MLA, who is the president of Dalit outfit Puratchi Bharatham, an AIADMK ally, remains untraceable. Fifteen special teams are searching for him, and the police believe he may attempt to cross into a neighboring state.
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the attempted arrest, calling it “an act of political vengeance”and accusing the DMK government of targeting alliance partners to coerce them into submission. But the court on Monday said, “…If two people are getting married, let them get married. If there’s any case, let it go to the police and the courts. You’re misdirecting the people.”
