Chennai: In the continuing crackdown by the AIADMK government, two former DMK ministers Veerapandi S Arumugam and I Periyasamy were arrested on Monday on different charges, including land grabbing.
Arumugam, the DMK`s strongman in Salem district, was arrested near his residence on land grabbing charges and Periyasamy at Koombur in Dindigul district for alleged illegal granite mining, police said.
On May 17, vigilance officials had conducted raids at 16 premises of Arumugam and his relatives in Chennai and Salem in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
Police said Periyasamy and another DMK functionary Muralidharan had illegally mined gravel on 16 acres at Ayyampalayam in Dindigul district without getting permission from the Assistant director of Mines, causing a revenue loss of Rs 30 lakh to the government.
They said Periyasamy, who had been absconding since morning, appeared before Deputy Superintendent of Police Suriliraja and offered to get arrested. As tension prevailed in this town, he was taken to Koombur on the district border and arrested there, they said.
A magistrate court at Nilakottai later remanded him to 15 days judicial custody.
Arumugam and Periyasamy are the latest to be added to the list of several leaders and former ministers, besides MLAs, who have faced action by police or Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption either on land grab charges or allegations of disproportionate assets, after the AIADMK government came to power in April last year.
PTI
