Minor abduction case: Stalin govt suspends ADGP Jayaram, MLA Moorthy joins probe
Chennai: In a major fallout of a high-profile abduction case, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday suspended Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H.M. Jayaram, a day after he was picked up by Tiruvallur district police following orders from the Madras High Court.
The senior IPS officer is accused of facilitating the abduction of a minor boy by allegedly providing his official vehicle to a gang involved in forcibly separating a couple.
The suspension order was issued by the Tamil Nadu Home Department on Tuesday afternoon.
Jayaram was taken into custody on Monday as he exited the High Court premises, where he had reportedly gone to seek legal recourse. He was immediately escorted by the police to Thiruvalangadu police station for interrogation.
According to sources, Jayaram was questioned for nearly six hours by the investigating officer.
His formal statement was recorded, after which he was taken to the Deputy Superintendent of Police’s office in Thiruthani.
He is expected to be produced before a judicial magistrate in Thiruthani later this week.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Jayaram approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the Madras High Court’s order that had directed his arrest.
The case centres around a complaint lodged by a woman named Lakshmi, whose elder son had married a woman from Theni district against her family’s wishes. The couple reportedly went into hiding, fearing retaliation.
In an attempt to locate the couple, members of the woman’s family, allegedly aided by hired men, barged into Lakshmi’s home and abducted her younger son in their absence. The boy was later found abandoned near a hotel, injured and traumatised.
Subsequent investigation revealed that an official car linked to ADGP Jayaram was allegedly used in the abduction, prompting the High Court to take serious note and direct immediate action.
In a related development, Puratchi Bharatham Katchi leader and KV Kuppam MLA ‘Poovai’ M. Jagan Moorthy, who is also facing allegations of involvement in the incident, appeared before the Thiruvalangadu police on Tuesday morning.
His appearance followed the High Court’s directive that he cooperate with the investigation.
The case has triggered a political and administrative storm, with opposition parties demanding a transparent and impartial probe into the involvement of top officials and elected representatives.