FIR lodged against Sasikala over death threats to former AIADMK minister

Chennai: An FIR has been lodged against former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader VK Sasikala and her supporters at Roshanai Police station in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district, based on a complaint filed by former AIADMK minister C V Shanmugam that he received death threats through social media and mobile phones.

Sasikala, the close aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has been booked under sections 506 (1) (punishment for criminal intimidation. If threat be to cause death or grievous hurt), 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) and 109 (punishment of abetment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The cases were registered including Sasikala and 501 supporters on charges of intimidating former Tamil Nadu minister Shanmugam. Further investigation is underway.

In an audio clip send by Sasikala's PA Karthikeyan, in a conversation with former MLA Kadhirkamu, Sasikala claims that she instructed the party not to disqualify former CM O Panneerselvam and other ten MLAs for rebelling against her and the party.

Another set of audio clips of Sasikala has emerged where she was heard speaking with three disqualified MLAs and claimed that it was she who halted the disqualification of 11 MLAs including Panneerselvam but after he and former CM Edapaddi K Palaniswami came together, they disqualified 18 MLAs from the party.

She also states that the current leadership does not have political maturity and will start meeting her supporters soon. In another audio, she said that she will be accommodative to others.