AIADMK team meets Gov over Kodanad controversy

Chennai: A delegation of AIADMK leaders on Tuesday met Governor Banwarilal Purohit  “to present the correct picture” relating to the Kodanad Estate break-in and the controversy that erupted following the release of a video by journalist Mathew Samuel in Delhi alleging involvement of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in the April 2017 heist-murder.

The AIADMK delegation that included Rajya Sabha Member R Vaithilingam and former state minister K P Munusamy called on the Governor a day after DMK president M K Stalin met Purohit and demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under an upright Inspector General of Police should take over the investigation of the estate break-in and the related deaths. Also, the Governor should keep the President informed about the controversy but first the CM should step down to ensure a fair probe into the crime, the DMK chief had urged Purohit.

Emerging from the Raj Bhavan after the meeting, the AIADMK delegation told reporters that it carried out its “duty” to apprise the Governor since the Leader of the Opposition Stalin had leveled such a “big charge” against the Chief Minister. “We told the Governor that Stalin had taken up the Kodanad issue and seeking SIT probe only for political mileage. He is using statements made by persons accused of murder and extortion, and that too, two years after the incident,” Munusamy told reporters, while claiming that the AIADMK delegation had voluntarily met Purohit and there was no invite from the Raj Bhavan for discussing the matter.

“Realising that DMK cannot win the coming Lok Sabha polls, Stalin wants to somehow malign the CM's reputation and that of this government, which enjoys the people's support,” Munusamy alleged, adding, “We told the Governor that the memorandum (of demands presented by Stalin to Governor) was for political gain”.

The Governor has “promised to look into the matter”, Munusamy said. He also recalled that in 1996, then chief minister M Karunanidhi had raised an issue over a picture showing Jayalalithaa with two men and claimed they were among the accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, but it later turned out they were local advocates.

“Karunanidhi went silent after it was proved (that they were not the Rajiv case accused). If the father did something like that, his son (Stalin) is doing something like this now,” Munusamy said, and added that Stalin had levelled “baseless charges” against the CM and the AIADMK could initiate legal action against the DMK leader. Stalin “will for sure lose and face insult,” in this matter, he claimed. On the accused persons' statements linking Palaniswami to the heist, he wondered how the CM would know what would be kept inside a “private property.” “Maybe (V K) Sasikala knows,” he said.

On January 11, former Tehelka editor Samuel Mathew had released a 16-minute video clip in Delhi, alleging that Palaniswami had links to a break-in at Kodanad estate in 2017.

The CM immediately refuted the charge and said those who were unable to take on AIADMK politically were resorting to such cheap acts and a probe would expose their identities.

On April 23, 2017 late night, a group of men, including prime accused and Jayalalithaa's ex-driver Kanagaraj -who later died in a road mishap- barged into the Kodanad Estate after assaulting two guard, one of whom named Om Bahadur died. The burglars had smashed the bungalow's window panes and searched three rooms and finding no expensive articles and money, decamped with ornamental things and watches. Two suspects in the case, K V Sayan and Valayar Manoj had levelled the charge, linking Palaniswami to the break-in, in the clip that Samuel Mathew released in Delhi. (With PTI report)

Unravel truth behind Kodanad estate mystery, says Ponnar

Alleging political conspiracy in the controversial documentary on Kodanad killings and dacoity, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan sought the State government to ‘resolve’ the mystery.

 “I think there is a mystery regarding the Kodanadu issue. But it was not talked about so far. What is the necessity to talk about it now? Who is behind raising the Kodanad mystery issue now?. It appears a big plot is being woven behind the Kodanad mystery…there is a hidden political agenda and ulterior motive behind it,” he alleged.

Speaking to reporters in Nagercoil on Wednesday, the Minister said the State government should bring out the truth behind the allegations. Mr. Radhakrishnan was responding to a query on the allegation of former magazine editor Samuel Mathew who released a 16-minute video clip in Delhi on Jan. 11, alleging that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had links to a break-in at Kodanad estate in 2017. Mr. Palaniswami had however refuted the allegations and said those who were unable to take on AIADMK politically were resorting to such cheap acts He had also asserted that a probe would expose their identity.
 Asked about the DMK president M. K. Stalin’s gram sabha meetings, Mr Radhakrishnan laughed and said the DMK seemed to gear up for the civic body polls. “Those who couldn’t conduct well in the Assembly are conducing the gram sabha meeting. Their aim is only local bodies’ elections not Assembly or Parliament elections,” he remarked.

“They know they can’t come to power with the leader (Congress president Rahul Gandhi) they had projected and so are concentrating only on civic polls,” Mr. Radhakrishnan added. Earlier, addressing a meeting organised to distribute free LPG cylinders under the Ujwala Yojana scheme he expressed confidence that BJP would win 75 per cent of seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections and emerge stronger.