The Tamil Nadu Police announced on Sunday that a Chennai City Police team had arrested M. Manikandan, a minister in the previous AIADMK government, on charges of allegedly raping a Malaysia-based woman, causing miscarriage and criminal intimidation.
According to reports, Manikandan was nabbed in the wee hours of Sunday in Bengaluru.
On June 9, the Madras High Court had rejected a plea from Manikandan to extend the stay on his likely arrest.
The woman, an actor, had filed a police complaint against Manikandan in late May. She accused him of promising to marry her and then abandoning her after she got pregnant. In the complaint, she also accused him of forcing her to get an abortion and threatening her and her family. She said in her complaint that he cheated her by claiming that he plans to invest in Malaysia, where her family is based.
The Indian Express reported that Manikandan had absconded after the High Court refused to extend protection from arrest. "The city police formed two special teams to arrest him. They initially searched for him in Madurai, Ramanathapuram. Manikandan’s driver and assistant were summoned by the police for the inquiry," The Indian Express reported.
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After the complaint was lodged, Manikandan alleged the issue was being used to defame him and extort money. Manikandan was minister for information technology in the previous government.
