6 teams search for ex-minister Bhalaji

6 teams search for ex-minister Bhalaji

Move Comes After HC Rejects Bail

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Virudhunagar/Madurai: 19.12.2021

The Virudhunagar district police have formed six teams to nab former milk and dairy development minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji (AIADMK) who is on the run after the Madras high court on Friday refused to grant him anticipatory bail in cases pertaining to the job racket registered last month.

The first case is against Bhalaji and his two accomplices for collecting money from 23 people on the promise of getting them government jobs in Aavin and in government departments. The second case is based on a complaint from K Nallathambi, one of the co-accused in the first case, who claimed that Bhalaji had used him as a tool to collect money from people promising jobs in Aavin.

Police said that the former minister has been booked under sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 506(i) (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Bhalaji had led the party’s protest in Virudhunagar district against the DMK government on Friday, shortly before he was denied anticipatory bail.

Meanwhile, in a special sitting on Saturday, the Madras high court restrained the Virudhunagar police from summoning any relative of Bhalaji not figuring as an accused in the cheating cases.

Justice G R Swaminathan passed the interim order while hearing the petition filed by Bhalaji’s sister K Lakshmi, who sought a direction to the police not to harass her family members. The judge also directed the police to file a counter and adjourned the case to Monday.

Senior counsel for the petitioner submitted that Lakshmi’s son Vasanthakumar was taken to the Thiruthangal police station around 9.30pm on Friday. Police made Vasanthakumar call his brother Ramana and driver Rajkumar to the station. The trio was detained there though they were not involved in any offence.

He further submitted that the police officials allegedly threatened them to ask the former minister to surrender.

Bhalaji moves SC seeking advance bail

Chennai:

With special teams on his toes and the Madras high court rejecting his anticipatory bail petitions, former milk and dairy development minister, KT Rajenthra Bhalaji has moved the Supreme Court seeking advance bail. The AIADMK leader is facing arrest in two cases for allegedly cheating aspirants of money promising them government jobs. In his petition, Balaji contended that the main accused, Nallathambi is involved in similar cases of job racketeering over the years and has also falsely implicated prominent political figures from the opposition party too to divert attention. TNN