- A senior Tamil Nadu police officer has been suspended amid an ongoing kidnapping probe.
- HM Jayaram was detained following a Madras High Court order regarding his alleged involvement.
- The case involves a family dispute over a love marriage and the kidnapping of a minor boy.
A senior police officer in Tamil Nadu has been suspended amid a probe into an alleged kidnapping case involving a family dispute over a love marriage. HM Jayaram, who held the rank of Additional Director General of Police, was detained yesterday following an order by the Madras High Court.
The court had also directed MLA Poovai Jagan Moorthy, who heads the Puratchi Bharatham party, to appear before the police without being accompanied by party workers.
Mr Jayaram is accused of being involved in the kidnapping of a minor boy whose brother was to get married to a girl against her family's wishes.
Vanaraja, who disapproved of his daughter's wedding, had allegedly approached a former constable, Maheshwari, who reached out to Mr Jayaram for help to break the marriage. Mr Jayaram, in turn, had allegedly sought help from Mr Moorthy.
Unable to find the groom, the MLA's men allegedly kidnapped his 16-year-old brother. He was released after his mother approached the police. Huge financial transactions were allegedly made to carry out the kidnapping.
The police later claimed that when the boy was released, he was taken in a car belonging to Mr Jayaram, driven by a serving constable, and accompanied by Maheshwari and Vanaraja.
The MLA, who had won the 2021 assembly elections on an AIADMK symbol from the Kilvaithinakuppam constituency, has denied the charges. He has filed an anticipatory bail plea, but the court said it would assess his cooperation before deciding on his plea.
Noting that his supporters had physically blocked police from arresting him over the weekend in Tiruvallur district, the court made a scathing observation on Monday: "Why are you afraid of a police investigation? An MLA should be a role model, not run kangaroo courts."
Five people have already been arrested as the probe continues amid mounting political and public scrutiny. Police are pursuing leads on the alleged money trail and say more arrests may follow.
