The Mayiladuthurai police have registered a case against BJP Mayiladuthurai district unit president Agoram and seven others on charges of attempting to extort money from the Dharmapuram Adheenam by threatening to release “obscene audio and video clips” connected with the ‘madathipathi.’ Four of them have been arrested.
They had allegedly threatened to circulate the clips on social media if the Adheenam did not pay them. A case was registered on February 25 following a complaint preferred by Viruthagiri of Thirukadaiyur, the brother and assistant of Dharmapuram Adheenam Thalaimai Peetathipathi Sri La Sri Masilamani Swamigal.
Recently, Mr. Viruthagiri had submitted a complaint to the Mayiladuthurai SP, which was forwarded to the Mayiladuthurai police station. Mr. Viruthagiri said that a person named Vinod of Aduthurai, along with Senthil, who works in the mutt, had contacted him, on WhatsApp claiming that they had in their possession obscene clips connected to the ‘Thalaimai Madathipathi’ and threatened to make them public if they were not paid.
He alleged that the accused had also warned that he and those at the mutt would be “eliminated through rowdy elements” if the matter was reported to the police, and that there were several attempts to kill him. According to him, the accused had acted at the instigation of a few persons, including Mr. Agoram. The threat had caused mental agony to the ‘Madathipathi’ and those in the mutt, Mr. Vridhagiri said, seeking action.
The police identified the arrested persons as Vinod; Vignesh; Kodiyarasu; and Srinivas, a BJP functionary.
A case has been booked under IPC sections including 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy), 307 (attempt to murder) 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) and 389 (putting person in fear or accusation of offence in order to commit extortion).