Latest news with #Pandiarajan
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- The Hindu
Kolathur DSP questioned over death of dairy treasury manager among 33 police officers transferred in Tamil Nadu
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Kolathur R. Pandiarajan, who was recently questioned over the death of Naveen Bollineni (38), a Chennai-based treasury manager at a multinational dairy products corporation that owns Thirumala Milk Products Private Limited, is among 33 police officers who were transferred in Tamil Nadu on Monday (July 14, 2025). Anil Kumar Giri has been posted as Salem City Police Commissioner, replacing Praveen Kumar Abhinapu. Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) N. Devarani has been transferred from Vellore range and posted in Kancheepuram range. Joint Commissioner of Police, Intelligence, Greater Chennai City Police G. Dharmarajan has been posted as DIG, Vellore range. DCP of Koyambedu K. Adhiveerapandian has been transferred and is being replaced by DCP Sujith Kumar. DCP of Kolathur Pandiarajan has been transferred to Dindigul district and posted as Superintendent of Police, TSP Battalion, Palani while DCP Traffic, South P. Kumar is to replace him in Chennai. Mr. Pandiarajan was in the news last week when allegations linking him to the alleged suicide of treasury manager Naveen Bollineni (who was accused of swindling ₹40 crore from his comapny) rose on social media, following which Disha Mittal, the Joint Commissioner of Police, West, was asked to inquire into Mr. Pandiarajan's role and submit a report. On July 11 (Friday), he was questioned by Ms. Mittal and on the same day, crime inspector Vijay Prabhakar was sent to Vacancy Reserve category without any posting, after he was found to have mishandled the case. Four districts get new SPs SP-level officer Feroz Khan Abdullah has been posted as DCP, Avadi and the incumbent DCP, Avadi Ayman has been posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Ranipet district. Anna Nagar DCP Bhukya Sneha Priya has been transferred and posted as SP of Theni district. SP R. Srinivasaperumal has been transferred from Tiruvallur and Vivekanand Shukla is to succeed him. K. Jose Thangiah has been posted as SP of Karur district.
NDTV
12-07-2025
- NDTV
Tirumala Milk Treasury Manager's Death Appears To Be Suicide: Top Cop
Chennai: The death of Naveen Bollineni, Treasury Manager at Tirumala Milk, "appears to be a case of suicide," said Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun, even as the police have launched an investigation into the alleged unofficial enquiry conducted by a senior officer. Naveen, 40, was found dead in Chennai last week, days after facing internal allegations of misappropriating Rs 40 crore from the private dairy firm. In a purported suicide note emailed to his mother, sister, and colleagues, Naveen blamed certain company officials for mental distress-but made no mention of police harassment, the Commissioner clarified. The top cop confirmed that Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kolathur) Pandiarajan had made preliminary enquiries without formally registering a case or beginning an official investigation. "Deputy Commissioner Pandiarajan should not have enquired into this. We are investigating his actions," Commissioner Rathore said, adding that appropriate action would be taken if any wrongdoing is established. He also clarified that under standard procedure, any financial fraud involving more than Rs 1 crore must be investigated only by the Central Crime Branch (CCB). Despite the company's internal complaint to the police, no FIR had been registered at the time of Naveen's death, and officials say the firm had not furnished necessary financial documents. The BJP had earlier accused the DMK government of allowing unofficial police enquiries, with former State President K Annamalai slamming the administration for "losing control over the force." The DMK has denied these allegations. The case has now been registered as a suspicious death, and Joint Commissioner of Police has been directed to conduct an internal inquiry and submit a detailed report.
New Indian Express
21-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
AIADMK plays BJP's tune, calls DMK ‘divisive' over Keezhadi issue
CHENNAI: Signalling the aligning of the AIADMK with its recently reunited ally – the BJP – on the ongoing issue of alleged delay in publishing Keezhadi's excavation report by the Archaeological Survey of India, K Pandiarajan, who was the minister for archaeology in the previous AIADMK regime, on Friday said that archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna should respond to the questions raised by the ASI regarding his report. Implying that the questions raised by the ASI had credibility, Pandiarajan, who is at present AIADMK's deputy propaganda secretary, told the media that Ramakrishna's report said the antiquity of Tamil civilisation might date from the 5th century CE to the 5th century BCE. 'In other words, he suggests it could be any year within that span of thousand years. That is what he calls a discovery. Will anyone accept such a claim?' Pandiarajan asked. He further questioned the reason for the delay of many years in submitting the report by Ramakrishna, who carried out the first two phases of excavations in Keezhadi before he was suddenly transferred by the ASI to Assam in 2017. Since the controversy broke out in the end of May, the principal opposition party of Tamil Nadu had largely remained silent on the issue, while the ruling DMK and its allies have been vehemently attacking the BJP for trying to suppress the antiquity of Tamil civilisation.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
AIADMK, DMK spar over Keeladi
Chennai: Asserting that did not spend even a paisa for Keeladi archaeological explorations, on Friday accused it of politicising the excavation report submitted by ASI official K Amarnath Ramakrishna. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The DMK rejected the charges, saying DMK govt allotted 27 crore in the last four years for archaeological explorations in 37 places, including Keeladi. Addressing reporters at AIADMK headquarters, former minister Mafoi K Pandiarajan said the previous AIADMK govt was instrumental in the ongoing archaeological explorations and excavations in eight places. The govt acquired 100 acres from farmers amidst unrest and sent artefacts to advanced laboratories in the US, Singapore, and Italy for carbon dating and material analysis. When the Centre hesitated to fund further excavations, former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami stepped in and allocated funds to continue the research by the state archaeology department, and reports were submitted to the Centre, he said. "Only the AIADMK did excavation in Keeladi, while the DMK politicised it," Pandiarajan said, adding that the EPS govt had allotted 105 crore every year. At Anna Arivalayam, DMK medical wing secretary and MLA N Ezhilan told reporters that Pandiarajan's statement that AIADMK allotted 105 crore for Keeladi excavation was a blatant lie. "The AIADMK govt allotted only 55 lakh." When Union govt halted the excavations abruptly in 2016, DMK MP Kanimozhi went to the court. Only after the court directed the resumption of the excavation did the AIADMK govt continue the exercise, he said. "TN people will never forgive EPS for betraying Tamil culture and its ancient heritage," Ezhilan added. Pandiarajan said the previous report on Keeladi findings proved Tamil was a developed writing system 2,500 years ago. The latest report from Ramakrishna outlined a different time bracket, prompting the ASI to ask for clarification. "You must respond. Instead, submitting the paper to (chief minister) Stalin and making him speak is nothing but politics," he said. Pandiarajan said the Union govt was not saying that Tamil was not ancient.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The AIADMK defends its role in Keeladi excavations, wants politics out of the issue
The AIADMK has defended its role in the Keeladi excavations when it was in power. It also accused the ruling DMK of 'indulging only in politics' on the issue. On Wednesday, the main Opposition party, long criticised for being silent on the issue, claimed credit for the Keeladi excavations during April-August 2018. Puratchi Thalaivi Peravai secretary and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R.B. Udhayakumar made these remarks in a statement. The next day, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin attacked the AIADMK for 'maintaining silence'. On Friday, the party fielded deputy propaganda secretary K. Pandiarajan, who was the Minister for Tamil Language and Culture and Archaeology during 2017-21, to explain to the media the AIADMK government's record in archaeology in general and Keeladi in particular. The former Minister pointed out that the average annual allocation for the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) was hardly ₹2 crore once. This went up to ₹105 crore, including the Centre government's share. Touching upon the archaeological work at Adichanallur in Thoothukudi district, he said that it was Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who got the Union government to sanction the establishment of a site museum (which is being built at a cost of ₹17 crore). Litigation before Madurai Bench Tracing the origin of the Keeladi controversy, Mr. Pandiarajan recalled that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had, at one stage, decided not to pursue the project further. Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister then, and she decided that the State government would step in if the Centre walked out. So, the AIADMK government applied to the Central government for approval, even as litigation was pending before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. Later, the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (CABA) permitted the TNSDA to conduct excavations, which were done in stages. The reports were submitted to the Union government. At the 2019 Book Fair in Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami released the first report. When the ASI did the work in Keeladi, it confined itself to a few acres of land. But when the TNSDA stepped in, about 100 acres was acquired. It was from the Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory, Miami, Florida, U.S., that the dating report was obtained for the Keeladi findings, the former Minister said, adding that the proposal for a site museum at Keeladi was approved when Mr. Palaniswami was the Chief Minister. 'Culture of sticking posters' Acknowledging that the TNSDA was created in the late 1960s when the DMK was in power, Mr. Pandiarajan, however, said that of a total of 39 excavations done so far, 33 were carried out when the AIADMK was in power. But the DMK government wanted to 'take credit for all the work' done by the AIADMK government. 'This is the height of the culture of sticking posters [on what the previous government had achieved],' Mr. Pandiarajan said, wondering how much the ruling DMK had allocated for the Keeladi excavations and whether those who were agitating on the issue had read the reports produced by the AIADMK government. It was for ASI official Amarnath Ramakrishna to clarify the points raised by the ASI on the Keeladi excavations, and there was no room here for politics, Mr. Pandiarajan said, adding that the ASI did not question the antiquity of the Keeladi civilisation but raised some questions based on the reports submitted by the State government when the AIADMK was in power. A 'blatant lie' Speaking to reporters at Anna Arivalayam, DMK MLA N. Ezhilan said the Edappadi Palaniswami-led AIADMK government started the Keeladi excavationS based only on a Supreme Court verdict. He said the AIADMK government allocated funds only for two excavations: ₹5 lakh for Pattaraiperumpudur in Tiruvallur district and ₹55 lakh for Keeladi. He termed the AIADMK's claim of allocation of ₹105 crore a 'blatant lie'.
