Former Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has approached the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State government to continue his police protection since there was a serious threat to his life ever since 2006 when he was attacked by an armed gang.
The writ petition has been listed for admission before Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira on Tuesday. In his affidavit, the petitioner said his police protection had continued till last month though he was not even a MLA now. However, it was withdrawn in the first week of November without assigning any reason.
Pending disposal of his writ petition, the former Minister urged the court to issue an interim direction to the State government to submit the Security Review Committee’s recommendation with respect to the security provided to him since 2006 even during the period when he was not a Minister.
He recalled that an armed gang had attacked him on May 8, 2006, the day of Assembly elections, when he was sitting outside his residence along with his brothers C.Ve. Radhakrishnan and C.Ve. Babu. Claiming that the attackers swayed a huge machette at him, the petitioner said that he had ducked to save his life.
However, the blow fell on Muruganantham, who was the brother-in-law of Mr. Babu, and he died on the spot. “In the shock of that moment, I had hid below the car and the attackers were looking for me. Since the crowd started coming to my rescue, the attackers fled the scene,” his affidavit read.
Stating that he had been provided police security since then, irrespective of having been in power or not, the petitioner said, even the incumbent government had continued the security cover until November though he was not even a MLA now. The cover was withdrawn when the trial in the murder case was about to begin, he complained.
