Deposed coordinator of the AIADMK, O. Panneerselvam addressing a meeting of district secretaries of his camp in Chennai on February 20, 2023
| Photo Credit: RAGU R

1. Madras HC calls for report in Villupuram ashram case

The Madras High Court has called for an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the police by February 27, on the investigation conducted so far, in connection with the missing inmates of Anbu Jothi ashram at Kundalapuliyur in Villupuram district. .

The court called for the ATR on a habeas corpus petition which complained of one of the inmates Zafirullah (70) having gone missing mysteriously from the ashram, administered by Jubin Baby [since arrested]. There have been allegations of torture, sexual assault and human trafficking of inmates with mental illnesses.

2. OPS faction adopts resolutions on AIADMK retrieval, golden jubilee celebrations

Accusing the AIADMK, led by the party’s interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, of taking the organisation towards a “destructive path,” the camp, led by deposed coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, adopted a resolution to “retrieve the party from a dictatorial and conspiratorial group.”

The former coordinator’s camp also came down heavily on the way the AIADMK’s presidium chairman Tamilmagan Hussain conducted himself during the process of selecting the party’s candidate (K.S. Thennarasu) for the Erode (East) bypoll.

Another resolution was adopted to hold a conference in March to mark the golden jubilee of the AIADMK’s inception and birth anniversaries of MGR and Jayalalithaa.

3. Erode (East) bypoll | Madras HC disposes petition seeking fair poll

After recording the steps taken by the Election Commission of India, the Madras High Court has closed a writ petition filed by AIADMK organising secretary C.Ve. Shanmugam seeking a free and fair by-poll in Erode (East) Assembly constituency.

In a related development, election officials have seized unaccounted cash to the tune of ₹51.31 lakh and ganja and drug tablets worth ₹10.38 lakh till date. The total seizure stood at ₹61,70,612.

4. Tiruchi police open fire on two rowdies

A police inspector opened two rounds of fire using his service pistol on two rowdies after he and two constables were attacked by the accused with weapons at the banks of Uyyakondan channel in Tiruchi.

According to the preliminary inputs, the accused Somu @ Somasundaram and Duraisamy attacked the policemen of Woraiyur police station, inspector Mohan and constables Chitrarasu and Ashok Kumar, when they were taken to recover stolen valuables.

The three policemen and two accused sustained injuries and were admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital in Tiruchi. Their condition is stable.