A day after ruckus, theft complaint against OPS camp

CHENNAI: AIADMK’s south Chennai district Secretary, Aadhi Rajaram has filed a complaint before the Royapettah police alleging theft of documents and other important items from the party headquarters by former chief minister O Panneerselvam and his supporters, a day after the clash and forced entry into the office by OPS and his supporters.

In his complaint, Rajaram has alleged the ruckus created outside the AIADMK head office as a planned attack and trespassing. He sought action against MLAs, R Vaithilingam, JCD Prabhakar Manoj Pandian among others and sought police help in retrieving the items allegedly stolen from the party headquarters, when the general council meet was underway at Vanagaram.

Revenue authorities on Monday sealed AIADMK headquarters on Avvai Shanmugam Salai, Royapettah on Monday, after violence in the party headquarters between factions of O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswamy.

Minutes before the general council meet in which Palaniswamy was elected the interim general secretary, chaos prevailed near the party headquarters as party cadres hurled stones at each other and exchanged blows. Supporters of OPS broke open the locked door of the party headquarters to make way for their leader’s entry into the office, after supporters of EPS allegedly blocked entry of Panneerselvam’s vehicle.

Within hours of the violence, police resorted to mild lathi charge to make the cadres disperse from the area after which Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), south Chennai division, Sai Vardhini sealed the party headquarters, under section 145 Cr.PC.

The revenue authorities also invoked section 146 (1) CrPC (power to attach subject of dispute and to appoint receiver) in view of the potentiality of the dispute between the two factions.

City police have so far arrested 14 persons in connection with the violence