EPS, supporters booked for alleged manhandling at Madurai airport

Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) and his supporters allegedly manhandled a passenger, who was taking a video of the AIADMK chief calling him a “betrayer” at the Madurai airport

Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) has been booked along with a group of his supporters on Sunday for allegedly manhandling a passenger, who was taking a video of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief calling him a “betrayer” at the Madurai airport, police said.

AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS). (HT File Photo)

The former chief minister has been booked based on a complaint by the said passenger, named Rajeshwaran, in the Avaniyapuram police station in Madurai district. Besides EPS, the case was also filed against his personal security officer (PSO), AIADMK MLA, PR Senthilnathan and former minister M Manikandan. Meanwhile, a counter complaint was filed by AIADMK leader RB Udhayakumar in the same police station against Rajeshwaran, police added.

Rajendran went live on social media on Saturday with a video of him inside an airport bus where EPS and his security were travelling. Rajendran was heard saying that he is travelling with an “example of a betrayer” and accused EPS of back-stabbing “Chinnamma” (V K Sasikala, ex-aide of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa).

HT could not verify the authenticity of the videos. EPS has not made any comment on the issue.

Police said EPS has been booked under sections 341(wrongful restraint), 294 b (obscene words), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506(1) (criminal intimidation), and 109 (abets any offence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).