Arumugam walks free after 3-day interrogation

SALEM: Three days after intensive interrogation in two land grab cases, former agriculture minister and DMK district secretary Veerapandi S Arumugam walked free after executing sureties at the Judicial Magistrate Court V on Wednesday evening.He fulfilled the main conditions of the anticipatory bail granted by the Madras High Court on July 22. As per court order, he had to execute sureties at the court at 5 pm and has to appear before the central crime branch (CCB) here every day until further orders.The CCB produced him in court at 4.50 pm amid tight security. As soon as Arumugam stepped into the witness box in the court jam-packed with DMK lawyers who had turned up to show their solidarity, he was given the bail bond, which he signed along with guarantors. Soundarajan and Umashankar were the guarantors in the Angammal Colony case, while Thangavel and Palanisamy of Parapatti were the ones in the Premier Mills case. Each set of guarantors paid `25,000 as per the High Court’s order. Arumugam will sign at the CCB office every day at 8 am from Thursday.Ex-minister Hurt as Supporters Mob HimArumugam was brought to the court amid multi-layer security. But when the vehicle entered the court complex, DMK supporters, who had assembled in a show of strength, lost their cool and climbed up the vehicle and raised slogans. The crowd outsmarted the police team and followed their leader inside the corridors of the court. In the mêlée, Arumugam’s left arm as injured. Photographers and reporters were also attacked by the mob, which broke the glass doors in the court. About 1,500 to 2,000 people reportedly thronged the court complex.Earlier, DMK supporters who had gathered around the barricades near the town police station, which houses the CCB office where Arumugam was grilled, attacked autorickshaw drivers when traffic was partially opened in the morning. Two people were arrested. Deputy Commissioner J Ravindran, who had led the three-day interrogation, said the grilling was handled with utmost caution and nothing untoward had occurred. “A custodial interrogation for three days is very rare and we had to tread carefully.”