Cuddalore Member of Parliament (MP) TRVS Ramesh from the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu surrendered before a court in Panruti on Monday, October 11, after he was charged with the murder of a 55-year-old labourer working at a cashew nut processing unit at Panikankuppam, on September 19. The deceased, identified as K Govindarasu of Melmampattu village, was working as a labourer at the unit owned by the DMK MP. The CB-CID officials who filed the chargesheet on September 24 had earlier arrested five other accused involved in the crime. At the time, they said that the MP was absconding. They had also sought permission from the secretary of the Lok Sabha to arrest the Cuddalore MP.
The court has sent him to three days of judicial custody and the hearing has been adjourned to October 13. It is likely that the CB-CID will ask for an extension of custody during the next hearing.
In a statement released on Monday, October 11, Ramesh said that certain political forces were using the FIR against him for personal gain in a way that affected the DMK and that as a member of the party, it caused him pain. He further added, “In order to avoid any further false accusations against my leader, I surrender to the court in connection to the charges against me by the CB-CID. I will prove in court that the accusations against me lack evidence.”
The police said that on September 19, Govindarasu was stopped when he was returning home from work and questioned about a theft that took place at the cashew processing unit. As a confrontation took place, five men including the Member of Parliament had allegedly assaulted Govindarasu, who suffered injuries on his face and neck, according to the police.
Officials said that Govindarasu was then brought to the Kadampuliyur police station by two men to report the alleged theft, but were asked to take him to a hospital for treatment. The two men allegedly left an injured Govindarasu at the unit itself, following which he was found dead on September 20. The case later moved to the Madras High Court, which on September 22, ordered for an autopsy and also transferred the case to the CB-CID.