Another ex-MLA held for land grab

CHENNAI: Former DMK MLA B Ranganathan and his associate T V Venkatesan alias Gowrishanker were arrested by CB-CID wing in a land grabbing case. They were earlier arrested by the Kolambur and Avadi Tank Factory Police on similar charges and lodged at the Vellore Central prison.A release on Tuesday said Amaravathy Cranes and Structurals Ltd owned by S RY Ankineedu Prasad had purchased 118.4 acres of land from 62 persons of Morai village in 1965. Rajendra Raja and his kin in the village claimed ancestral rights over the five villages, including the above land. Various cases were pending before different courts pertaining to the ownership. A probe revealed that Ranganathan and Gowrishankar had committed criminal trespass into the land through their henchmen and attempted to grab it. It was also ascertained that in collusion with Rajendra Raja and others, they sold the land to different individuals as housing plots. Ranganathan and his aide were arrested by the CB-CID and would be produced before the JM, Poonamalle, for remand, the release added.