Ex-union minister Thangkabalu booked on cheating charge

Former union minister and Congress leader K V Thangkabalu and two of his family members have been booked on charges of cheating and issuing threat to a man over the administration of a textile mill here.
The city crime branch registered the cases against Thangkabalu, his wife and son following the direction from a court last evening on a petition filed by the man, police said.
In his petition in the Judicial Magistrate court, V V Vasan, a Tamil Maanila Congress functionary, alleged that at the instance of Thangkabalu, the mill was bought in an auction in 2006 for Rs 20 crore and its entire operations were vested with him.

He submitted that Thangkabalu, former TNCC President, had promised to pay him a share in the mill's profit besides providing 20 cents of land.
However, the former minister did not honour his promise and when approached, threatened the complainant with dire consequences. Thangkabalu also renamed the mill and made his wife and son its directors, the petitioner charged.
The 5th Judicial Magistrate had last evening directed police to register cases against the three and investigate the complaint, police said.