MADURAI: Four persons said to be involved in the murder of Dalit Panther Iyakkam State treasurer Mudakathan Pandian surrendered at the Usilampatti court in Madurai district on Wednesday. According to police, Manikandan (20), Vellayan (21), Sanjeevi (22) and Soman (20) all belonging to Mudakathan village surrendered at the Judicial Magistrate's court at Usilampatti. Magistrate Madhava Yadav remanded them to judicial custody. It may be recalled that the police had already arrested one Kamaraj of Mudakathan on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Madurai District Collector Jasbir Singh Bajaj, in a press release today stated that neither the district administration nor the police had received any intimation regarding the proposed bandh on June 22 announced by the DPI leader Thirumavalavan to protest the murder of Pandian. Due to the swift action of the police, the arrest of one Kamaraj was recorded within a short span and others had surrendered, the release added.

The Collector also stated that after the officials received petitions from the dependents of Pandian, necessary relief as per the law would be provided and hence under these circumstances, the bandh call was unnecessary, the relase concluded.

DPI leader Tirumavalavan arrested on eve of protest day

CHENNAI: Dalit Panthers of India leader and MLA R Tirumavalavan and five of his supporters were arrested by the city police on Thursday evening. A team of policemen from Vadapalani police station picked up Tirumavalan and his supporters from his house at K K Nagar around 5 p.m, police sources said.

All the six were produced before the 17th Metropolitan Magistrate Court at Saidapet and remanded to 15 days judicial custody.Police officials said Tirumavalavan and his supporters were taken under preventive custody. A case has been booked against Tirumavalavan under Sec 151 Cr PC read with 7 (1) A Criminal Law Amendment Act at Vadapalani police station.Tirumalavan's arrest comes a day before he was to stage a demonstration in front of the Chennai Collectorate on Friday to demand a CBI inquiry into the brutal murder of DPI's state treasurer `Mudakathan' Pandian on Monday. The DPI had called for a bandh at Madurai on Friday to condemn the killing of `Mudakathan' Pandian by an unidentified gang.

A day after the killing, a state-owned transport corporation bus was set on fire allegedly by DPI cadres at Karuvanoor in Madurai district.

Talking to mediapersons after coming out of the court, Tirumavalavan alleged that he was arrested due to political vendetta. Those arrested along with the DPI chief were Bakkiyam, Saravanan, Anandbabu, Raghunathan and Ramalingam.

http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IET20010621111004&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Tamil+Nadu&rLink=0

8 DPI men held for robbery

TIRUCHI: Perumbalur police arrested eight DPI members for attack on a government express bus and subsequent robbery at Ayyanarpalayam in Kaikalathur police limits on Thursday.

It may be recalled that seven persons got into a Government express bus bound for Vellivedi in Perumbalur District from Athur in Salem District a couple of days ago and when the bus was nearing Ayyanarpalayam, they forced the vehicle to stop at knife point, broke all glass panes, tore the seats and robbed the conductor of Rs.3000, his watch, ring and a gold chain before escaping.

Kaikalathur police registered a case and arrested eight Dalit Panthers of India members following their shouting pro-Tirumavalavan slogans and leaving behind DPI literature.The arrested were identified as Chandran (29), Anandan (20), Alaguvel (20), Asokraj (20) and Allimuthu (20), all of Kaikalalthur Harijan colony, and Asokan (34), Annadurai (27) and Iyankitti (31), all of Ayyanarpalayam. All the eight were remanded to custody.

http://www.the-hindu.com/stories/0422223h.htm

Tirumavalavan held

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 21. The DPI convener, Mr. R. Tirumavalavan, and five activists were arrested as a preventive measure here in view of the party's demonstration planned for tomorrow protesting the murder of the treasurer, Mr. Mudakathan Pandi, in Madurai recently. In the evening, the XVII Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr. P. Jayabalan, remanded them to judicial custody till July 5. Their bail application was posted for Monday.

Mr. Tirumavalavan told the media the arrest was politically motivated and based on fabricated charges. The AIADMK Government had been targeting Dalits since it assumed charge, he charged. He said the DPI would go ahead with its bandh called in Madurai for tomorrow and appealed to his cadres to remain calm.

Earlier, the police picked up Mr. Tirumavalavan and the others around 4.30 p.m. when he was holding discussions with his partymen at his K.K. Nagar residence. They were taken to the Vadapalani police station before being brought to the court.

The Magistrate who had left for home, returned to the court at police request. The FIR said Mr. Tirumavalavan and his cadres would disturb the peace as they had threatened to organise a protest in the city violating prohibitory orders. Mr.Tirumavalavan had sought police permission but it was turned down. The FIR also stated a bus was burnt and violence occurred following the murder of the DPI treasurer in Madurai. After the magistrate ordered their judicial remand, the DPI leader and five others were later lodged in the Chennai Central Prison.

Elaborate security in Madurai district

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JUNE 21. Elaborate security arrangements have been made in view of the bandh called by the Dalit Panthers of India in Madurai district for Friday demanding a CBI inquiry into the murder of its State treasurer, Mudakkathan Pandi, here recently.

The State organiser, Mr. R. Thirumavalavan, has made the demand even as all the named accused are now in custody. A State-owned bus was torched by suspected DPI cadres on Tuesday.

While the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation decided to curtail its services to remote areas from tonight, the police have offered to accompany or even escort the buses to rural pockets.

The Managing Director, Mr. S. Balashanmugham, told The Hindu that three mobile squads had been formed to monitor the movement of buses for the next 48 hours. ``The buses would confine to plying on the main roads and avoid interior routes''.

The DIG (Madurai range), Mr. K.P. Mahendran, has warned that the police have been instructed to open fire on those causing damage to public property and harm to lives. Preventive arrests are being made as a precautionary measure. Extra-security has been provided in sensitive areas like Melavalavu near Melur. He said three companies of Tamil Nadu Special Police and Armed Reserve Police Force were also deployed.

Meanwhile, following the news of the arrest of Mr. Tirumavalavan in Chennai, the police have stepped up security at the Madurai airport and railway station. Armed policemen would guard the rail track within the district in co-ordination with the Railway Protection Force.

Describing the bandh as ``uncalled for'', the Collector, Mr. Jasbir Singh Bajaj, has said the accused in the Pandi murder case have already been taken into custody. ``We have provided a Government job to his wife and a compensation of Rs. 1.5 lakhs'', he said and ruled out the need for a CBI inquiry. This being the first bandh in the State called after the new AIADMK Government took charge, the police are leaving no stone unturned. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. P.C. Lallawmsanga, said intensive night patrolling had been ordered in the city, particularly in the areas bordering the district.

The DPI office-bearers and others with a criminal background have been arrested in the city and district as a preventive measure and the district administration has given the assurance that essential services would not be affected.

Protest in Ariyalur

Our Tiruchi Staff Reporter reports:

Security has been beefed up in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts as a precautionary measure even as a section of DPI volunteers asked shopkeepers to down shutters at Senthurai village in Ariyalur district protesting the arrest of Mr. Tirumavalavan.

A group of volunteers also ``impounded'' two buses at Senthurai briefly. Police officials persuaded the protesters to release the buses. However, many of the shops remained closed in the village.

Mr. C. V. Rao, DIG, Tiruchi Range, was camping at Perambalur. Meanwhile, five more persons, said to be DPI volunteers, were arrested in connection with the stabbing of a bus conductor by a group at Ayyampalayam near Perambalur on Wednesday.

Buses stoned

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JUNE 21. Four State-owned buses were damaged when suspected DPI cadres pelted stones at various parts of the city tonight.

According to police sources, an auto-borne gang pelted stones at Arapalayam, Kochadai and K. Pudur. The news of arrest Mr.Tirumavalavan, is said to have provoked them. However, no passenger or the bus crew were injured.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Madurai division, withdrew the night services. A Central Reserve Police Force company was pressed into service.