A special team arrested former AIADMK Minister M. Manikandan from Bengaluru, on charges of raping a Malaysian-Indian woman , causing miscarriage and criminally intimidating her.
Last month, the woman lodged a complaint against Mr. Manikandan, accusing him of cheating her. The Adyar All Women Police booked him under different Sections of the IPC, including 376 (rape), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman’s consent), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 417 (punishment for cheating), 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) and the IT Act.
The former Minister absconded and two special teams were formed to nab him. Earlier this month, he moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The Court had directed the police not to arrest him till June 9.
The Malaysian-Indian woman, an actor, complained to the police that the former Minister had cheated her after having been in a live-in relationship with her for a few years. She alleged that he had promised to marry her and made her pregnant thrice. She also alleged that he had forced her to get abortions and threatened her family members in Malaysia when she insisted that he marry her.
She said Mr. Manikandan was introduced to her in 2017 when he was the Information Technology Minister. He developed a friendship with her on the pretext of making an investment in Malaysia. Within a few days, he proposed to marry her though he was already married.
She alleged that he persuaded her to undergo an abortion by promising to marry her. He also threatened to upload her nude pictures online unless she went back to Malaysia. However, the former Minister reportedly denied all the allegations made by her.
Published - June 20, 2021 09:45 am IST
