Latest news with #PuratchiBharatham


New Indian Express
09-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Puratchi Bharatham stages protest in Vellore over Kavin's murder
VELLORE: Over 100 members of the Puratchi Bharatham party staged a protest in front of the District Collectorate on Friday, condemning the recent murder of 25-year-old Dalit youth and IT employee, Kavin Selvaganesh, allegedly over caste pride. The protest, led by district secretary Mekanathan, urged the Tamil Nadu government to enact a separate law to prevent honour killings, curb atrocities against Dalits, and ensure the safety of Scheduled Caste communities. Protesters raised slogans in support of these demands. Speaking to reporters, party state coordinator and advocate Saravanan reiterated the need for immediate legislative action to protect vulnerable communities from such caste-based violence. Kavin, a native of Arumugamangalam village in Thoothukudi district, was murdered in Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, on July 27. Police said the assailant, S Surjith (23), was the younger brother of Kavin's girlfriend, Subashini. While Kavin belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, Subashini was from the Most Backward Classes. Police have arrested Surjith and his father, Saravanan, in connection with the murder. The case is currently under investigation by the CB-CID.


Time of India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Surprised by TN MLA's clean record, SC grants him bail in kidnap case
NEW DELHI: At a time when criminalisation of politics is on the rise, Supreme Court on Monday expressed surprise when it was told that Tamil Nadu MLA M Jagan Moorthy had no criminal antecedent and that led to the apex court granting him anticipatory bail in a kidnapping case of a boy. "It is a surprise on the positive side," said a bench of Justices Manoj Misra and N Kotiswar Singh when senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the MLA, said the elected representative had no criminal background. Moorthy is the president of Puratchi Bharatham party, which is an ally of main opposition party AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. "If the petitioner is arrested in connection with FIR registered at Thiruvalangadu police station, he shall be released on a personal bond of Rs 25, 000 subject to the undertaking that he shall cooperate in the investigation and will not threaten the witnesses or tamper the evidence," the bench said in its order. Moorthy approached SC challenging Madras HC's June 27 order dismissing his plea for anticipatory bail. He claimed being framed in the case on the basis of a confession statement of a co-accused, without any direct or corroborative evidence linking him to the alleged offence.


New Indian Express
28-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Madras High Court denies anticipatory bail to MLA Jagan in teen abduction case
CHENNAI: Finding prima facie materials to establish his role in the abduction of a boy from Tiruvallur, the Madras High Court on Friday refused to grant anticipatory bail to KV Kuppam MLA and leader of Puratchi Bharatham party 'Poovai' M Jagan Moorthy. Justice G Jayachandran said the court has arrived at an irresistible conclusion that for a fair investigation and fearless trial, the petitioner needs to be secured and subjected to custodial interrogation. The teenager was allegedly abducted as his brother had married a girl outside his caste from an affluent family in Theni. 'The call details collected show that the petitioner was in touch with ADGP HM Jayaram and other persons. These materials prima facie are sufficient to hold that the petitioner is a party to the alleged conspiracy,' the judge said in the order. The matter pertains to the abduction of the teenager from his house in Tiruvalankadu police limits on June 7, 2025, by five unidentified persons in the marriage involving his brother. The kidnapped boy was later let go near the Perumbakkam bus stand. Preliminary probe brought to the fore the alleged involvement of Moorthy and HM Jayaram, an ADGP-rank IPS officer. On Friday, Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran assisted by Additional Public Prosecutor R Muniapparaj, representing the CB-CID, submitted that the investigating agency has collected electronic evidence, call records, photographs, CCTV footage and recovered Rs 7.86 lakh from the girl's father Vanaraja that point to the MLA's role in the case.


The Print
17-06-2025
- The Print
ADGP held, MLA under lens in TN for teenager's abduction after brother's ‘self-respect' marriage
While the high court ordered the arrest of ADGP Jayaram, an Indian Police Service officer, for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping case, Jagan Moorthy was asked to appear before the police for investigation. The alleged involvement of ADGP H.M. Jayaram came to light on 16 June when the Tiruvallur Police revealed it before the high court during a hearing on an anticipatory bail petition of MLA 'Poovai' M. Jagan Moorthy, leader of Dalit outfit Puratchi Bharatham. He represents the Kilvaithinakuppam (SC) constituency in Vellore district. Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Police have arrested an Additional Director General of Police based on a Madras High Court order Monday in connection with an 18-year-old's kidnapping case in which an MLA is also a suspect. According to the Tiruvallur district police, the case was filed based on a complaint from a person named Lakshmi against a group of people in Theni for allegedly kidnapping her 18-year-old son on 6 May, 2025. On Saturday evening, a police team from Tiruvallur district had arrived at Jagan Moorthy's residence in Poonamallee to investigate him. Also Read: What Madras HC said while upholding Tamil Nadu's night ban on real money gaming A marriage without parental consent followed by kidnapping In May, Lakshmi's elder son Dhanush (22), who works in a private company in Chennai, married Vijaya Sri (21) against the wishes of her parents. When her family got to know about their marriage, they went on to search for them. After failing to find the couple, a group of people went to Dhanush's house and kidnapped his younger brother, police said. Based on Lakshmi's complaint, police arrested five people, including the woman's father Vanaraja, their relatives Manikandan and Ganesan; and Puratchi Bharatham party member and advocate Sarathkumar, and constable Maheshwari, who has been removed from service in a separate case. Police said the party advocate and the former police constable confessed to the crime. 'Involvement' of ADGP, MLA A senior official in the Tiruvallur Police told ThePrint that the woman's father wanted to break off the marriage as it was a 'self-respect' marriage—a form of marriage practised among Hindus in Tamil Nadu that emphasises equality and respect between partners and is conducted without traditional rituals or Brahmin priests. The official said that the family approached Maheshwari, who sought the help of ADGP Jayaram, who in turn reached out to Jagan Moorthy to sort the issue out. 'Subsequently, the MLA used his henchman to (try and) kidnap the couple and separate them. However, as the couple was not at home, they kidnapped the boy's 18-year-old younger brother, who was sleeping on the terrace,' the senior official said. However, upon learning that the police have launched a search operation to find the kidnapped youth, the gang dropped the 18-year-old back at his house. 'This is where the involvement of ADGP comes in. Since police were searching for the boy and the kidnappers, the ADGP had helped the gang by giving his official car to drop the boy back to avoid police checking. Inquiries have revealed that the girl's father Vanaraja and the former police constable Maheshwari too travelled in the official car used by ADGP,' the senior police official told ThePrint. The high court heard the MLA's anticipatory bail petition Monday, when both the accused appeared before the court. Justice P. Velmurugan ordered the police to arrest Jayaram, while also ordering Jagan Moorthy to appear before the police for further investigation into the case. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: 'Self-pleasure not forbidden fruit' & wife watching porn not grounds for divorce, says Madras HC


NDTV
16-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Love Marriage, A Kidnapping And A Senior Cop's Arrest In Tamil Nadu
Chennai: In an unprecedented development, HM Jayaram, an Additional Director General of Police, was arrested in Tamil Nadu after the Madras High Court ordered investigators to do so in connection with an alleged kidnapping case involving a family dispute over a love marriage. The court also directed Poovai Jagan Moorthy, MLA and Chief of the Puratchi Bharatham party, to appear before the police for investigation. The judge, while hearing the MLA's anticipatory bail plea, made scathing observations, stating, "Why are you afraid of a police investigation? An MLA must be a role model and not run kangaroo courts." The judge also warned that Jagan Moorthy must appear without being accompanied by party cadre, asserting that political office bearers should not misuse their influence to evade the law. The court took note of police submissions that the MLA's supporters had blocked law enforcers from arresting him over the weekend in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district. While his anticipatory bail plea remains pending, the court indicated it would assess his cooperation with the ongoing investigation before deciding. According to police, the case centres around a marriage between a 22-year-old man and a young woman whose father, Vanaraja, disapproved of the union. Determined to break the marriage, Vanaraja allegedly approached Maheswari, a former police constable who had been dismissed from service. Maheswari, in turn, reportedly reached out to ADGP Jayaram, who then sought help from MLA Jagan Moorthy. Failing to locate the groom, the MLA's men allegedly abducted his 16-year-old younger brother instead. When the boy's mother approached the police, the minor was eventually released - but in a shocking twist, police say he was let go in a car belonging to ADGP Jayaram. The vehicle was reportedly driven by a serving constable, with Maheswari and Vanaraja being the other occupants. Investigators allege that huge financial transactions were made in connection with the kidnapping. Mr Moorthy, who had contested on an AIADMK symbol and won the Kilvaithinakuppam reserved constituency in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, had denied allegations.