Brother held,2006 murder returns to haunt Ramadoss

CBI sleuths are said to be closing in on Ramadoss and family in connection with murder case.

Finding himself far from power both at the Centre and state,PMK founder leader S Ramadoss and family have a bigger challenge now as the CBI sleuths are said to be closing in on them in connection with a murder case.

The CBI has arrested Ramadosss brother Srinivasan alias Seeni Gounder and the partys former headquarters secretary N M Karunanithi for their alleged role in the murder of one Muruganandam,a relative of state minister C Ve Shanmugam,five years ago.

On May 8,2006,the day of the Tamil Nadu assembly polls,a group of PMK men allegedly attacked Shanmugams house in Dindigul over political rivalry that was brewing for some time. Though Shanmugam hid under his car and escaped,his brother-in-laws brother Muruganandam,a former PMK man who switched sides to join the AIADMK,was killed.

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Shanmugam had accused Ramadoss,his son and former Union minister Anbumani and several others of conspiring and staging the attack in the complaint filed with local police. But police excluded Ramadoss and Anbumani in its FIR,leading to allegations that there was a deliberate motive behind delaying and sabotaging the probe. The PMK was then part of the ruling DMK-led alliance in the state and also a part of the ruling UPA at the Centre.

As the investigations went ahead at a snails pace,the accused persons came out on bail. Soon afterwards,N R Raghu,the prime accused,was found dead.

Ramadosss brother Seeni Gounder and Karunanithi,the PMK man who contested against Shanmugam in the 2006 election have been arrested so far,and sources indicated much more was in store in this case.