TN CM hits out at DMK over Kodanad heist case

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Sunday took a swipe at arch rival DMK on the Kodanad heist and murder case and claimed that people have raised doubts whether those involved belonged to that party.

Campaigning at Arakkonam seeking votes for alliance partners New Justice Party chief A C Shanmugham and PMK leader A K Moorthy, Palaniswami said police have arrested those involved in the case.

"..It is the DMK which is taking steps to get those arrested released and this has led people to doubt whether that party was involved in it," he said.

In April 2017, the security guard of the Kodanad estate, former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's retreat-home in the hilly district of Nilgiris, was found dead.

Ten people have been arrested in connection with the robbery attempt at the estate-bungalow which was used by Jayalalithaa for both official and residential purposes.

Two key accused-- C Kanagaraj and K V Sayan-- had recently alleged Palaniswami's involvement in the heist case in a video released by a journalist Mathew Samuel in Delhi.

Palaniswami had rejected the charges, dismissing it as a "lie".

The chief minister had also filed a defamation suit in the Madras High court which had restrained Samuel and six others, including Sayan and Manoj, from making any statement linking him to the case.

Holding that it was the responsibility of a government to clarify the doubts raised by the people, Palaniswami said "those involved cannot escape from the law and this government will take prompt action."
Referring to DMK leader and former union minister A Raja's close aide Sadiq Batcha, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 2011 amid the probe into the 2G spectrum scam, he said, "Members of his (Batcha) family released advertisements on his death anniversary recently, saying "bad friendship causes utter ruin."