Stalin faces arrest on coercion plaint

[1]

Former Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister M.K. Stalin is facing arrest after the Chennai crime branch (CCB) registered an FIR on Thursday on a complaint by a businessman that associates of the DMK strongman coerced him to sell a property at a low price in 2010.

Police said N. Seshadrikumar had lodged a complaint that Mr Stalin’s aides threatened his tenants to vacate the house situated next to Mr Stalin’s house on Chittaranjandas Road in Teynampet, and forced the sale in favour of one of them, P. Venugopal Reddy.

It was said that Mr Stalin’s son Udayanidhi was paying a rent of `20,000 for the said property on behalf of his sister.

“Due to coercion, he [Seshadri] was forced to sell the house for a lesser price of Rs 5.54 crore. CCB has registered a case under sections 451, 386, 387, 506 (1) and 120 (B) of IPC against Stalin, Udhayanidhi, P. Venugopal Reddy, Raja Shankar, Subba Reddy and Srinivas,” said a CCB statement.

Mr Stalin, away in Ramnad on a political engagement, was informed of the development. “I have been expecting such a thing, only it took a bit too long to happen. This is an atrocious lie and I will face it legally,” he told DC. He said he would not seek anticipatory bail.

“I don’t know if I will be arrested when I take the late-night flight at Trichy or after landing in Chennai.”