3,500 cookers with AMMK stickers seized in Ariyalur

It is said soon after the Model Code of Conduct was in place after the announcement of Assembly polls, the surveillance by all the teams commenced and the vehicle checkups were also started from Friday late evening. On Saturday, a team of flying squad led by the revenue official Saravanan were conducting vehicle inspection at Varanavasi Samathuvapuram near Ariyalur, they stopped two mini trucks and inspected them. The team found that there were cartons in the trucks and upon inquiry by the special team, the crew told them that they were carrying empty boxes to be handed over to Thanjavur.

However, on suspicion, the team went on inspecting the cartons and found that there were boxes of pressure cookers with the stickers containing the portraits of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran. The stickers were arranged by Thanjavur district AMMK advocates wing Secretary Velu Karthikeyan. Subsequently, the squad took both the vehicles to Ariyalur RDO’s office and conducted an inspection in which they found that there were as many as 3520 pressure cookers with each 3 litres quantity worth Rs 12 lakh. The team learnt that they were reportedly transported from Chennai to Thanjavur.

Later, the Ariyalur Returning Officer Elumalai visited the spot and an inquiry is on.

He told the reporters that an inquiry has been ordered whether the cockers were meant for the distribution to the voters by the particular party. Subsequently, the trucks were sent to the treasury office to be kept under their custody.

Sources said that it is the first seizure after the MCC came into effect.