The police in Chengalpattu arrested Tiruporur MLA L Idhayavarman from Medavakkam on Sunday, a day after a passerby was injured by a bullet fired during a clash between two groups over a pathway in Sengadu village. Idhayavarman has been remanded till July 24.
The single barrel breech loading gun and the pistol that were seized
Chennai:
Six more were arrested including Idhyavarman’s brother Nirmal, brother-in-law Vasanth, driver Kandhan and three others identified as Ramesh, Vasudev and Yuvaraj.
Officials said a pistol and a single barrel breech loading gun were seized, the licences of both had expired, adding that the MLA was taken to the Chengalpattu SP’s office for questioning. The DMK legislator’s father had claimed that it was he who fired at the passerby, later identified as Srinivasan and the latter told police at the hospital that it was Idhayavarman who shot at him. Srinivasan suffered minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital.
The police had remained tightlipped about the incident on Saturday, not revealing the name of the victim or his whereabouts, and also maintained that no case was filed because none had filed any complaint. But officials said on Sunday that Srinivasan went missing after being discharged. Chengalpattu SP D Kannan said they suspect that Idhayavarman’s men could have taken Srinivasan with them to convince him into withdrawing the complaint.
The SP said three FIRs were registered based on complaints from Lakshmipathy, real estate businessman ‘Imayam’ G Kumar and Srinivasan. Kumar was booked for murder attempt, while Idhayavarman and Lakshmipathy were booked under Arms Act and also attempted murder based on complaints from Kumar and Srinivasan. In all, more than 70 men have been booked, he said.
When Kumar went to his land in Sengadu on Saturday afternoon after lodging a complaint at Tiruporur police station that Idhayavarman’s men dug up the pathway to his property, the MLA, his father Lakshmipathy and 50 others attacked Kumar and those with him leading to a clash. As Kumar was escaping with his friends on his car, Idhayavarman and Lakshmipathy fired at the car which left Srinivasan injured.