‘Banner’ Jayagopal gets 14-day judicial custody
Brother-in-law Meghanathan still absconding.
Chennai: Exactly two weeks after AIADMK ex-councillor Jayagopal went absconding, the Chennai police tracked him down to Denkannikottai in Krishnagiri district.
After being arrested from a resort, Jayagopal was produced before the Alandur magistrate on Saturday morning, who sent him to 14-day judicial custody till October 11, in connection with the death of 23-year-old Subhasri, who died on September 12, as she and her two-wheeler came under the wheels of a water tanker when a flex board installed by Jayagopal for a family function, fell on her.
Soon after the tragedy, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government and Chennai Corporation to take disciplinary action against officials who failed to take cognisance of the illegal flex board that fell on Subhasri, resulting in her death.
Though Jayagopal initially defended his action, he soon absconded and switched off his mobile phone to prevent being tracked by police. He has two cases against him registered by Pallikaranai police and by St Thomas Mount Traffic Investigation Wing, for putting up hoardings and banners illegally without permission from the Greater Chennai Corporation.
On Friday night, a special city police team tracked him to Krishnagiri and brought him to Chennai. Sources said Jayagopal was grilled by the Pallikaranai and St. Thomas Mount traffic investigation police, for over three hours, following which he was produced before Alandur magistrate, Starli, who sent him to judicial remand.
The magistrate refused to remand the other four co-accused, Pazhani (50), Subramani (50), Shankar (35), and Lakshmi Kanthan (35), in the case, who were hired by Jayagopal to erect the banner.
On the contrary, the magistrate pulled up the police for arresting the four labourers who were hired to put up the banners, and were in reality, unaware of the nature of the task given to them. The magistrate instructed the police to release them on bail.
Meanwhile, as per the police, Jayagopal’s brother-in-law Meghanathan is still absconding.