ECR case: Accused AIADMK men, car belongs to Nilgiris district secretary's kin, alleges DMK's RS Bharathi

CHENNAI: Facing pressure from the opposition on the issue of women’s safety in the State in the backdrop of the ECR car chase incident, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi on Saturday alleged that the arrested persons belonged to the AIADMK and that one of the cars involved in the incident belonged to the family of an AIADMK district secretary.

Bharathi said this hours after a special team arrested Chandru, the alleged prime accused in the case, from Andhra Pradesh and seized his car.

After the incident triggered a major outrage among the people and led to stinging criticisms from rival parties, the Tambaram police commissionerate formed four special teams, which seized the two involved in the incident and later arrested four of the seven persons.

Sources said the special teams that have been hunting for the absconding accused nabbed the prime suspect, Chandru, from the neighbouring State. The police are searching for the remaining two persons.

Talking to the media at DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, Bharathi said, “The truth surfaced today. Chandru, the main accused in the ECR case, is an AIADMK person. His car has been seized. He is a close relative of an AIADMK functionary in Irumbuliyur.” According to him, the other car belongs to the nephew of an AIADMK district secretary in the Nilgiris. “Both the accused belong to the AIADMK,” he said.

Taking strong exception to Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami’s comment asking if sporting a DMK flag was a licence to commit crimes, Bharathi accused Palaniswami of not mending his ways despite the DMK and the State government offering repeated clarifications.

The AIADMK leader was issuing statements forgetting his responsibility as a former CM and the Leader of Opposition. “EPS has blamed DMK for the crimes committed by the AIADMK persons,” he alleged.