Coimbatore City police, on August 27, filed a case against former IPS officer K Annamalai, who had joined the BJP just three days ago on August 24, and a few other BJP functionaries under Epidemic Disease Act on charges of unlawful assembly. The civil-servant-turned-politician had, on Thursday, paid a visit to the BJP office at Siddhapudur where he was given a grand welcome.

Consequently, the Kattur police booked the group for violating lockdown norms. BJP Coimbatore district president R Nandhakumar, state general secretary GK Selvakumar, state treasurer SR Sekar and state vice president Kanagasabapathy are among those who have been booked.

The BJP’s new entrant was felicitated outside the office with silk shawls, garlands, a crown and vel (a symbol associated with lord Muruga). Visuals from the day show members throwing a fanfare for the new entrant with fire crackers and band music. 

The police have filed case sections 143 (unlawful gathering), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 269 (unlawfully or negligently does any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible mat­ter) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 3 of the Epidemic Disease Act.

Addressing the press after the grand welcome, Annamalai said, “BJP is a party for the people. My first journey has begun here in Coimbatore and for that, I would like to thank the senior members. Our state President L Murugan and Organisational Secretary Kesava Vinayagam are both new and we can see new blood in the team. This party will present an alternate form of politics for the state. Especially youngsters below 45 years of age have a lot of expectations from the party. So, 2021 elections will be a big turning point. Tamil Nadu needs a new path and BJP can deliver it. This is the motivation for me to join the party,” he said.

Annamalai had quit service in May 2019 and had reportedly shared that he was mulling taking a political plunge. There was a time when rumours were rife that Annamalai would join actor turned politician Rajinikanth’s party, when launched. Now that he has joined the BJP, he is expected to work either in Chennai or Coimbatore ahead of the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu in 2021.

Hailing from Tamil Nadu’s Karur district, Annamalai was posted as Superintendent of Police in Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru district when he resigned. He gained a reputation for cracking down on criminal cases in Udupi, where he was posted to as SP in 2015, and here he earned the moniker ‘Singam’ of Udupi.