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Madras high court: EPS, OPS can’t access Thevar gold armour
Both AIADMK factions had moved the Madurai bench of the Madras high court, claiming possession of the armour. However, the court directed the Ramanathapuram district revenue official to take custody of the golden armour from the bank and to return it after the tributes are completed. The superintendent of police of Ramanathapuram has been directed to provide protection.
The Madras high court on Wednesday directed that neither faction of the AIADMK, led by Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) or O Panneerselvam (OPS), will get possession of the 13kg gold armour kept in a bank locker in Madurai, which is taken out every year between October 28 and 30 to observe a patriarch of the Thevar community and freedom fighter- Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar.
Both factions had moved the Madurai bench of the Madras high court, claiming possession of the armour. However, the court directed the Ramanathapuram district revenue official to take custody of the golden armour from the bank and to return it after the tributes are completed. The superintendent of police of Ramanathapuram has been directed to provide protection.
The armour would adorn Muthuramalingam Thevar’s statue in Ramanathapuram. The armour was presented by the late former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa to the Muthuramalingam memorial in 2014.
On Wednesday, before the court’s verdict, EPS released a statement that he will pay tribute to the leader’s statue in Chennai. He also directed several senior leaders to pay tributes in Ramanathapuram. OPS, on the other hand, is yet to reveal details of his plans for the day.
While EPS belongs to the Gounder community, his rivals, OPS, V K Sasikala, and TTV Dhinakaran, belong to the Thevar community. In previous years, supporters of Sasikala and Dhinakaran have clashed with AIADMK cadres while paying tributes there.
After EPS, who enjoys the support of the majority of the AIADMK, expelled OPS and his supporters, the former was elected as the interim general secretary. OPS has challenged the change in leadership in the Supreme Court, where the case is pending.
Traditionally the treasurer of the AIADMK, a post from which OPS was expelled in July, operates the bank locker in Madurai to take the armour out, hand it over to the trustees of the memorial and put it back in.
Following his expulsion, EPS appointed Dindigul Srinivasan as party treasurer. He moved the Madurai bench on October 18, seeking a direction to the Bank of India, Madurai, that armour is handed over to them.
Following that, OPS’ side filed an impleading petition in the case the court granted on October 19. also filed a similar petition. Prior to that, both factions had also written to the bank.
