Two held for issuing ‘death threat’ to Tirunelveli Mayor

The Tirunelveli Town Police have arrested two persons for allegedly issuing a death threat to Mayor G. Ramakrishnan on Monday night.

According to Mr. Ramakrishnan (DMK), the suspects followed him when he went home late on Monday night along with his assistant. When he entered his residence, the suspects threatened him of dire consequences if he continued his “enmity” with a DMK MLA and refused to give the Corporation’s approval for the housing plots being jointly promoted by him and his partner.

When the people at the Mayor’s residence tried to nab them, the duo reportedly escaped on a bike.

Following the incident, the Tirunelveli Town Police arrived at the spot and collected CCTV footages from the cameras fitted in the house of the Mayor. Even as the police were at the Mayor’s house, one of the suspects, Mohammed Afzal, 23, of Tirunelveli Town returned to the spot only to be nabbed by the police, who also picked up his associate, Abdul Azeez, 22, also from Tirunelveli Town.

During interrogation, the police found that Afzal, an autorickshaw driver in Bengaluru, had returned to Tirunelveli only on Sunday.

When asked about the incident, Mr. Ramakrishnan said the delay in giving approval for the layout being promoted by the DMK MLA and his partner had resulted in the “death threat” to him.

“Since the Corporation’s mandatory approval can be given to the housing plots only after an inspection of the site, this process is getting delayed. However, the applicants exert pressure on me to give the approval instantly and hence the death threat was issued through his henchmen,” Mr. Ramakrishnan said while refusing to identify the MLA.

When asked if he had informed his party high command of this threat, the Mayor said: “Yes... The party will take appropriate action in this connection, I hope”.

Armed police personnel have been deployed at the Mayor’s residence.