Factory employee’s murder: DMK MP surrenders before court, remanded in judicial custody

 

Cuddalore:  DMK MP TRV S Ramesh, who was accused of murdering a 60-year-old worker at his cashew processing unit, surrendered before a court in Panruti on Monday. The CBCID team had arrested five people identified as the MP’s personal assistant Natarajan, cashew factory manager M Kandavel, M Allah Pitchai, K Vinoth and Sundararajan, in connection with the case.

 

The deceased, identified as Govindarasu, a resident of Melmampattu village in Cuddalore district, had failed to return home after leaving for work on September 19. He had been working at the cashew unit owned by the MP, for last eight years. Local media reported that Govindarasu was accused of stealing, and workers at the factory produced him at the Kadampuliyur police station. The cops directed them to take Govindarasu to the hospital as he was manhandled and was badly injured, but instead, the workers took him back to the factory. He was found dead on September 20.

 

Govindarasu’s son Senthilvel had accused the MP of murdering his father, and sought that the case should be shifted to the CB-CID for a fair investigation. A plea was subsequently filed at the Madras High Court, which directed the JIPMER Hospital in Puducherry to conduct the post-mortem on September 23. The state government later transferred the case from Kadampuliyur police to the CB-CID. After detailed investigation, the CB-CID altered the case from suspicious death to murder, and launched a summons on MP. The investigation team, which visited the MP’s house on Saturday to issue him summons, found that he had fled and launched a probe to find him.

 

Also read:   Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Priyanka, other Congress leaders observe ‘Maun Vrat’ in UP

 

At the time of surrendering, Ramesh in a statement issued before Panruti judicial magistrate R Karpagavalli, said he was pained to note that a few political parties had launched false propaganda against the DMK party, after the death of a worker in his cashew nut unit. He added that the accusations caused him deep sadness and hence, he was surrendering before the court to bring an end to the false campaign being spread against his chief MK Stalin and the party. He further said that he would submit the required evidence legally and prove that the charges levelled against him are baseless.