Panneerselvam camp to hold protest across TN over Kodanad heist

Chennai: Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam's camp on Tuesday said it would hold a statewide protest on August 1 to urge the DMK regime to expedite the probe in the 2017 Kodanad heist-cum-murder case and punish the perpetrators of the crime.

The protest is also to condemn the DMK government for 'sleeping' over the case without giving additional attention and importance, former AIADMK leader and OPS loyalist R Vaithilingam told reporters here.

The heist-cum-murder of 2017 in Kodanad in the hilly Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu remains in limelight as it happened in a bungalow there, which was used on and off by late chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as a camp officecum-residence.

The former AIADMK supremo died in December 2016. The AIADMK hit back at the OPS camp reiterating that it was merely the DMK's B-team and the protest move was to support the 'evil motive' of the ruling party in the Kodanad case.

Vaithiligam, flanked by OPS and former AIADMK veteran Panruti S Ramachandran, read out from a statement. a question related to suspicions if any, Vaithilingam said: "It may be X or Y, those who did that should be brought to book...it is the job of the police department to find out the culprits."

Panneerselvam, when asked about suspicions, also said it was the police department's responsibility to 'probe in-depth' and find out the culprits behind the crime.

"Only to stress this we are going to hold a (state-wide) protest...the government is also silent."

Asked if the probe was 'blunted' during the 2017- 2021 AIADMK regime when Edappadi K Palaniswami was the Chief Minister, he said it would be known following a comprehensive probe. (PTI)