SALEM/COIMBATORE: In a move that took many DMK functionaries by surprise, the Salem Crime Branch police arrested Veerapandi S Arumugam, DMK biggie in Salem and former Agriculture Minister, early on Saturday after slapping a fresh case of land grabbing against him. As news of his arrest spread, DMK men indulged in violence damaging nine Government buses and two private vehicles injuring a few passengers. Riot control teams were rushed to sensitive areas and 151 DMK cadres were arrested in Salem. In a well drawn out operation, the police detained Arumugam, who had obtained bail in two other land grabbing cases, when he had come to the Crime Branch office at around 8 a.m. along with his lawyer and supporters to sign the register as part of his bail conditions. While he was inside the Crime Branch office, the police informed Arumugam that they were taking him into custody on the basis of a land grabbing complaint filed by the VHP district president N Bala Mohanraj. Before Arumugam’s lawyer could react, the police swiftly took the former agriculture minister away from the spot and produced him at the house of the Fourth Judicial Magistrate Srividhya and obtained an order remanding him in judicial custody for 15 days. Immediately thereafter, they brought him by road to the Coimbatore prison and lodged him there. In fact, the police had detained Veerapandi Arumugam’s lawyer inside the Crime Branch office for undisclosed but obvious reasons. It took some time for the media and his supporters to learn about the details of the case registered against him. Earlier this week, the Salem strongman,was grilled in police custody for three days in connection with what have come to be known as the ‘Angammal Colony’ and ‘Premier Mills’ land grabbing cases.
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