AIADMK ward member abducted ahead of district panchayat poll

DINDIGUL

S. Thiruvikka, a member of the Karur district panchayat from the AIADMK, was abducted by unidentified persons near Vedasandur on Monday noon. He returned safely in the evening.

High drama prevailed when the incident occurred near Naganampatti village within the Vedasandur police station limits. Mr. Thiruvikka was travelling with former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar from Dindigul to a polling station in Karur district for an indirect election to the post of Karur district panchayat vice-chairperson, when a group of men attacked him and damaged the car in which the AIADMK cadre were travelling.

The AIADMK cadre lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that members of the ruling DMK were behind the kidnapping, with an eye on the election.

Superintendent of Police V. Baskaran said Mr. Thiruvikka reached the Vedasandur police station safely without any injury in the evening. “During an interrogation, he claimed that four unidentified men took him into a thicket and later dropped him off near the Natham bus stand, from where he came to Vedasandur on his own,” the SP said.

He said Mr. Thiruvikka was not sure if the kidnappers were from the ruling party, and added that he would be questioned further on Tuesday. The SP said efforts were on to identify the men who abducted him, using CCTV footage.

Mr. Baskaran clarified that Mr. Thiruvikka was not contesting the election on behalf of the AIADMK, and the party’s official candidate was another member, identified as Ramesh. Earlier, Mr. Thiruvikka had filed a petition before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, seeking a direction to the authorities to conduct the election under the supervision of a retired High Court or District Court judge.

He apprehended that malpractices would be committed during the election, and hence, he sought adequate police protection as well as videographing of the process. However, the State told the court that the allegations were unfounded.