Date:06/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/06/stories/2008090657550300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

“Transfer case against ex-MLA to CB-CID”

Staff Reporter

He apprehended that
he might not get fair justice at the hands of the local police

MADURAI: A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here to transfer an attempt to murder case registered against L. Santhanam, former MLA of Usilampatti near here, from the local police to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID).

In his petition, P. Jeyapandi, vice-chairman of Chellampatti panchayat union, said that the former MLA along with his son S. Elangovan, who was a former chairman of the panchayat union, and two others trespassed into the taluk office on August 13. They were armed with deadly weapons.

The perpetrators locked the doors of the taluk office and attacked the vice-chairman indiscriminately with a sickle and dagger. The MLA’s son inflicted cut injuries on his head and left hand. Another accused attempted to slit the neck, but the sickle slipped out of his hands and fell on the petitioner’s head.

The accused also slammed the sickle twice on the petitioner’s head when he attempted to escape. Later, they fled the scene after the residents gathered around the taluk office and raised an alarm. The petitioner was treated at the Government Rajaji Hospital here and a wound certificate showed that he had sustained six cut injuries.

The Usilampatti police registered a case against under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 II (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. But, only one of the accused was arrested because the former MLA was were very close to a sub-inspector of police, the petitioner alleged.

“At the instance and interference of the sub-inspector of Vikramanagalm police station, the second respondent (Usilampatti police Inspector) herein has not chosen to arrest the other accused,” the petitioner said and added that he had brought it to the notice of the Director General of Police as well as the Superintendent of Police.

The petitioner pointed out that there was no action despite intimating the higher officials and apprehended that he might not get fair justice at the hands of the local police.