CPI (M) leader urges police to arrest real culprits in DYFI secretary attack case

CPI-M State Sec. Balakrishnan urges police to arrest real culprits in DYFI district sec. Periyasamy's attack case. He questions police inaction against illegal lottery sales & suspects nexus between police & gang. DMK councillor S. Dhanalakshmi alleges Periyasamy & friend threatened her office workers & spread rumours.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary K. Balakrishnan on Friday urged the police to arrest the real culprits in the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) district secretary V. Periyasamy’s attack case. The police had arrested four persons on Thursday.

On Friday evening, Mr. Balakrishnan visited Salem Government Hospital, where Mr. Periyasamy was undergoing treatment.

Mr. Balakrishnan told reporters the DYFI district secretary was attacked by anti-social elements in broad daylight, in full view of the public. It shows anti-social elements are roaming in Salem without any fear of the police and raises doubt regarding the nexus between the police and the gang.

Mr. Periyasamy regularly informed the police about illegal lottery sales. Why are the police not taking action against people selling lottery tickets? It is not only in Salem; illegal lottery sales are taking place in various districts. We urge the Chief Minister to take action against lottery sales. The real accused should be arrested in Periyasamy’s case, he said and questioned why the police were not looking into who was behind the incident.

Regarding the complaint lodged against the DYFI district secretary that he demanded money from the lottery sellers, Mr. Balakrishnan said CPI-M and DYFI cadre will never indulge in such activities. “It is not acceptable that the police create a story and try to safeguard the accused. The accused persons may be in the DMK or AIADMK, but they are anti-social elements and should be arrested,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Salem Corporation DMK councillor S. Dhanalakshmi lodged a complaint with City Police Commissioner B. Vijayakumari alleging that on July 5, 6, and 7, DYFI district secretary Periyasamy and his friend Praba allegedly sought money and threatened her office workers. So, they informed the Annathanapatti police.

Meanwhile, they received information that Mr. Periyasamy was attacked, and they spread rumours that staff working in her husband Sathishkumar’s office attacked Periyasamy and they distributed pamphlets with photos of her husband and her. The police should take action against them, Ms. Dhanalakshmi added.