Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras
High Court today admitted a petition by the police seeking
custody of four local DMK functionaries, including two aides
of Union Minister M K Alagiri, arrested in a land grabbing
case.
Ordering issuance of notice to the four accused, Justice
R Mala posted the petition filed by the District Crime Branch
to July 28 for further hearing.
N Suresh Babu alias Pottu Suresh, Personal Assistant
(Political) of Alagiri and DMK Executive Committee member,
party District Secretary G Thalapathi, a confidant of Alagiri,
and Kodi Chandrasekhar and K Krishnapandi were arrested on
July 19 and remanded to judicial custody on a complaint by a
couple.
The couple Pappa and Sivanandi of Sengulam had complained
the four DMK leaders had threatened and forced them to sell
their 5.14 acres of land in Tirumangalam near here, worth Rs
5.5 crore, by paying only Rs 40 lakh in July last year.
A judicial magistrate court here on July 22 rejected the
plea for police custody of the four. The court had yesterday
dismissed the bail pleas of the four accused.
Challenging the Magistrate court order, Crime Branch
Inspector N Thirumal Alagu in his petition said, "In cases
like this, effective interrogation would be of tremendous
advantage in disinterring many useful information and
materials concealed by the accused."
The denial of police custody by the Magistrate had
stalled the investigation into the case, he contended.
Suresh Babu was yesterday detained under the stringent
Goondas Act.
PTI
