Former Tamil Nadu Minister Manikandan arrested in a rape case

Former AIADMK minister M Manikandan, who was absconding after being accused of having an extramarital affair with an actress, has been arrested by the Chennai police in Bengaluru on Sunday.

After receiving information that he was in Bangalore, the police reached there and took him into custody and produced him to court. M Manikandan was reportedly staying at a friend’s house in Anekal on the outskirts of Bengaluru when he was arrested. He was later medically examined and has been sent to judicial custody till July 2.

It is learned that an actress from the Tamil film industry had lodged a sexual harassment complaint against Manikandan at the Chennai city police commissioner’s office on the 28th of last month. She handed over a six-page complaint.

The Adyar All-Women Police Station has registered a case against Manikandan under sections 376 (rape), 313 (causing miscarriage without women’s consent), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 417 (punishment for cheating) and 506(i) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

In her complaint, the 32-year-old actress said that Manikandan had been in a live-in relationship with her for 5 years and consented to marry her. He had allegedly impregnated her and forced her to have an abortion.