Stalin leads protest seeking release of DMK workers

DMK working president M K Stalin today led a demonstration here seeking the release of the party workers arrested in connection with a protest during a police raid on a gutka unit in the city.

He alleged police raided the 'illegal' pan masala manufacturing unit in Kannampalayam without any prior information.

When DMK workers sought a fair probe into the issue they were arrested after foisting of cases on them, Stalin charged in his speech at the demonstration.

Police have registered cases against 10 DMK leaders including an MLA and arrested seven of them on the charge of obstructing officials from carrying out their duty during the raid on the gutka unit here on April 28.

The raid came at a time when the state was rocked by a multi-crore gutka scam allegedly involving a Tamil Nadu minister besides a former and a serving top police officials, into which the Madras High Court has ordered a CBI probe.

Referring to the gutka scam, Stalin said all those involved in it will definitely go to jail, once the inquiry by CBI in this regard was completed.

Earlier, nearly 1,000 workers participated in the demonstration.

Former ministers, A Raja, Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan and Pongalur Palanisamy were among those who participated.

Meanwhile, a court here adjourned the anticipatory bail petition filed by DMK MLA N Karthik to May 10.