The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday suspended Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H M Jayaram, a day after he was taken into custody by the Tiruvallur district police following directions by the Madras High Court to arrest him.
Jayaram, a senior IPS officer, is accused of abetting the abduction of a minor boy by allowing his vehicle to be used by a group of people who sought to forcibly separate an inter-caste couple. The boy is the brother of the man who married a woman from a different caste, purportedly despite opposition from her family.
The Tamil Nadu Home Department issued Jayaram’s suspension order on Tuesday, hours after he was questioned for nearly six hours at the Thiruvalangadu police station and later moved to the DSP’s office in Thiruthani.
Meanwhile, Jayaram approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday, seeking a stay on the High Court’s order directing his arrest. The apex court has agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday.
The High Court’s order came during the hearing of an anticipatory bail plea filed by KV Kuppam MLA and Puratchi Bharatham Katchi leader “Poovai” M Jagan Moorthy, who is also an accused in the case. On Tuesday, the legislator appeared for questioning before the investigating officer in Thiruvalangadu, complying with the High Court’s directive.
The case stems from a complaint filed by a woman named Lakshmi, who said that her elder son, Dhanush, had married a young woman from Theni district without the approval of the latter’s family. When the couple went into hiding, a group allegedly led by the girl’s family forcibly entered Lakshmi’s home on May 10, abducted her younger son, and transported him in Jayaram’s official vehicle.
According to Lakshmi, the boy was later found near a hotel with injuries. Five people, including the girl’s father, a lawyer, and a now-dismissed policewoman, have already been arrested. They allegedly implicated both the MLA and the ADGP in their statements.
Story continues below this ad
On Monday, High Court Justice P Velmurugan directed police to arrest Jayaram. “A strong message should go out to the public that no one is above law,” the judge said. The court also slammed the MLA for allegedly abusing his position and orchestrating “Kangaroo courts”, adding that people deserved elected representatives who upheld justice, not undermined it.