'They dragged me, tore my shirt'

By Suresh Nambath

CHENNAI, JUNE 30. Police excesses and violent protests punctuated a day of high political drama in Tamil Nadu as the former Chief Minister and DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, was today arrested and remanded to judicial custody till July 10 on charges of corruption.

Giving his family members and household staff little time to react, the police woke up Mr. Karunanidhi from sleep and dragged him down the stairs of his Oliver Road residence at 2 a.m. before taking him to the Crime Branch CID headquarters for interrogation.

Stalin surrenders in court

After a brief stopover at the Vepery police station, Mr. Karunanidhi was presented at the house of the Principal Sessions Judge, Mr. S. Ashok Kumar, who remanded him. Later, he was lodged in the Chennai Central Prison. The Chennai Mayor and son of Mr. Karunanidhi, Mr. M.K. Stalin, who was wanted in connection with the same case relating to corrupt deals in construction of 10 flyovers in the city, surrendered before the judge.

The Union Ministers, Mr. Murasoli Maran and Mr. T.R. Baalu, who offered resistance to the police, were roughed up and later arrested.

Mr. Karunanidhi told reporters that the police had barged into his bedroom. ``They did not show the arrest warrant. They said it was not necessary. They pushed me, they dragged me. They tore my shirt. When we (the previous DMK Government) arrested her (the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa), we had treated her respectfully.''

Although tired and dishevelled, Mr. Karunanidhi did not appear to have lost hope. ``Justice will prevail,'' he said while being taken away to the prison.

Legs became swollen

Before entering the prison, Mr. Karunanidhi, whose legs had become swollen, squatted on the ground for about 30 minutes objecting to moves to shift him to Vellore prison. Later, he was led to the cell. But he refused to take food forcing officials to go back on the decision to shift him. As directed by the judge, a panel of doctors examined him in the prison.

The arrest and remand came amid dramatic scenes with Mr. Maran and Mr. Baalu trying to fight off the police. Mr. Maran, who was with Mr. Karunanidhi at the time of arrest, insisted on accompanying him right through.

But at the Vepery police station, Mr. Maran was physically removed from the car carrying Mr. Karunanidhi. In the process, he was injured in the leg, and was transferred to an ambulance. After seeing Mr. Karunanidhi one more time at the place of remand, Mr. Maran moved to a private hospital for treatment. He was later arrested at the hospital on the basis of a complaint from the police party which went to arrest Mr. Karunanidhi.

Mr. Baalu was arrested when he tried to stop a search at the house of Mr. Maran. He too was pushed and pulled down by the police before being arrested and remanded. He later sought medical attention complaining of pain in the stomach, hands and hip.

Mr. Stalin, whom the police could not trace in the early hours of the day, said he had gone to Bangalore to see a relative. Once he knew the police were looking for him, he had returned to Chennai and surrendered before the judge who remanded him to judicial custody till July 10.

At the same time, he said the flyover case was a frame- up by Ms. Jayalalithaa to divert attention from the corruption cases against her. Accusing the police of breaking into his house, Mr. Stalin said police personnel had manhandled his wife and children. The accused were charged with conspiring in the selection of locations for construction of the flyovers, in appointment of consultant for preparing detailed project reports and award of contracts and in the issue of government orders totally cancelling the financial limits in the award of contract to enable the Chennai Mayor to defraud the public exchequer and indulge in corrupt practices.

A scrutiny of estimates revealed that with regard to several items, rates were inflated much higher than the actual market rates.

Because of the inflated rates, the Chennai Corporation incurred a loss of more than Rs. 12 crores, according to the complaint.

Criticism from allies too

The manner in which Mr. Karunanidhi was arrested has invited criticism from several quarters including from most of the AIADMK allies such as the CPI, the CPI(M), the TMC, the PMK and the Congress.

The Tamil Nadu NDA has called for a 12-hour Statewide bandh on Monday in protest against the arrest besides demanding President's rule in the State.

During protests organised by DMK party supporters, there were several incidents of violence such as burning and throwing stones at buses. Trains were also attacked as part of protests.

The DGP, Mr. A. Ravindranath, claimed that the accused had resisted arrest.

The Crime Branch-CID deputy inspector general of police and investigating officer, Mr. Mohammed Ali, told UNI that the police were compelled to use force to remove the former Chief Minister from his house as he resisted arrest and Mr. Maran assaulted him (Mr. Ali). He said his team went to effect the arrest after inquiring into the complaint filed by the Corporation Commissioner and finding merit in the case.

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