AIADMK functionary and his friend arrested for assaulting Sivakasi reporter

Sivakasi police on Thursday arrested an AIADMK functionary and his friend for assaulting Kumudam Reporter journalist Karthi on Tuesday evening and grievously injuring him.

40-year-old Pandiarajan alias Sellapandi, the AIADMK functionary and his friend, 43-year-old Murugan alias Poomurugan, are the two men who have been arrested. A police officer from Sivakasi said, “Both of them are rowdies. Murugan already has 11 cases against him. Sellapandi has 7 pending cases."

Based on a complaint filed by Karthi at Sivakasi Town police station, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the two of them under Sections 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 294 (b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place) and 307 (Attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

Virudhunagar Superindent of Police P Perumal says Sellapandi is a devout AIADMK functionary and already has a similar case pending against him.

“He was apparently angered by the article that appeared in the magazine. Poomurugan is his friend and he got involved in the assault. In, 2017 he was involved in the murder of Netrikan reporter in Sattur Taluk. That case is pending,” he says.

A report that recently appeared in Kumudam Reporter titled ‘Rajendra Balaji ai veezhthuvara Rajavaraman?’ that translates into ‘Will Rajendra Balaji be defeated by Raja Varman?’ by Karthi was the reason for the attack. The report hinted at AIADMK in-party fighting between Tamil Nadu Minister for Milk and Dairy Development KT Rajenthra Balaji and Sattur MLA MSR Rajavarman.

On Tuesday night, M Karthi, a journalist hailing from Virudhunagar, was brutally attacked by unidentified assailants and was rushed to a hospital in Sivakasi with grievous injuries. Karthi, who was allegedly attacked with a sickle, sustained severe injuries in the attack.

Madras Reporters Guild condemned the attack and called for the arrest of the assailants on Wednesday. Protests were held in Sivakasi and in Chennai by journalists, demanding immediate action in the case.