TN wants CBI to probe 'Dinakaran' attack

CHENNAI: Relenting to pressure from all quarters, which blamed total inaction of the local police when Madurai office of Tamil daily ‘Dinankaran’ office was attacked on Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government has sought a CBI probe into the incident.

Announcing this in the state assembly on Thursday, chief minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi said a CBI probe has become imperative as the developments involved his family members.

Supporters of Mr M K Azhagiri, elder son of Mr Karunanidhi, attacked the daily’s office in Madurai, angered by the results of a survey about the popular successor to DMK chief , conducted by A C Nielsen and published by the daily. Three employees were killed in the attack and arson at the daily’s premises.

Replying to a set of ‘call attention’ motions, moved by several members of the state assembly over the Madurai episode, Mr Karunanidhi denied ‘inaction’ on the part of the police. Immediately on coming to know of the attack, he said, he instructed that adequate police force be sent to ‘Dinakaran’ office. Soon, a 17-member police team was sent, he added.

He further said that he had cautioned the ‘Dinakaran’ management from publishing such a survey, which is bound to create rift in the party. However, the management did not heed to his suggestion, he added.

Still, to have a complete probe into the incidents of attack and arson, the government will be asking the CBI to conduct the enquiry, Mr Karunanidhi said. The state chief secretary will soon write to the CBI, seeking them to conduct the probe.

However, the members of the AIADMK and MDMK staged a walk out in the assembly. Earlier, they had demanded the resignation of the chief minister, over the government’s failure to keep law and order under control in Madurai.

Meanwhile, senior members of the ‘Dinakaran’ team have charged the police with failure to register their complaint. According to them, their complaint submitted to the police contained names of several people, who had masterminded the attack and were involved in it directly.

Instead of registering an FIR based on their complaint, the police registered a ‘fake FIR’ based on a complaint from a police officer. The ‘fake FIR’ does not contain any one of the prominent names, mentioned in the complaint submitted by ‘Dinakaran’ team members, they said. Journalists, representing several organisations and unions, held a protest meeting here on Thursday.

While welcoming State’s decision to seek a CBI probe, speakers at the meet also urged the state government to immediately book all those behind the gruesome incident.