Former AIADMK MLA in judicial custody for defamatory remarks against Power Minister

A former AIADMK lawmaker in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district was arrested this morning for spreading slanderous remarks on Whatsapp about state power minister P Thangamani, who has been bufetted by allegations of corruption by DMK Leader of Opposition MK Stalin.

A police official with the Namakkal Town Police Station confirmed to ET that Saraswathi P, who had won from the Kapilamalai constituency from Namakkal district in 1991 and later shifted to the DMK, has been arrested and remanded to 10 days of judicial custody.

A police official aware of the details of the case told ET: "Among other sections, section 504 of the IPC [intentional insult to provoke breach of peace], has been brought to action in this case." According to the official, Saraswathi had engaged in circulating Whatsapp messages about power minister P Thangamani, and that when AIADMK cadre had raised it with her, she had spoken to them in a hostile manner.


Power minister P Thangamani has been recently targeted by DMK leader and Leader of Opposition MK Stalin for what he termed a scam in wind energy procurement. Rubbishing the claims, Thangamani had clarified that it was an internal audit conducted by the state electricity department that led to suspension of three officers and a demand notice on a private power producer for charges payable to the board.