Police investigate claims of 129 kidnapped MLAs after FIR

V K Sasikala travelled to Bengaluru to present herself to the authorities, police in Kancheepuram district began investigating claims that the 129 AIADMK MLAs at Golden Bay resort were kidnapped.

Saravanan, an MLA from Madurai who dramatically climbed the walls of the Kuvathur resort to join O Panneerselvam’s camp, filed an FIR against Sasikala and new AIADMK chief minister candidate Edappadi Palaniswami under Sections 366 (kidnapping) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation).

A team of Kancheepuram police had earlier submitted a report to the Madras high court last week that the MLAs in question “showed no sign of being held against their will.”

Wednesday saw a different turn of events, however, as Kancheepuram SP Mutharasi along with 150 policemen arrived at the Golden Bay resort to conduct an inquiry based on the FIR.

After individually interviewing each MLA in private, the investigating officers left. IG Senthamaraikannan told media that all of the statements had been recorded, and that the investigation was still under way.

“We were isolated in one place and were affected emotionally. But we were attending phone calls and were active on social media, backing OPS,” said Saravanan on Wednesday.

MLAs from the rival Palaniswami faction, however, disagreed. Inbadurai, the MLA from Radhapuram, said, “We showed the cops the room he stayed in. His claims are not true. He stayed with us from February 8. When the police interrogated us following the HC's direction, he was the one who gave a statement that everyone stayed here on their own will.”