Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

Break-in on Assembly premises

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI SEPT.18. A sealed office room on the Assembly premises, located in the Secretariat here, was broken into this morning.

Police and Assembly sources said the losses were being assessed.

While the break-in itself is a matter of concern to the Assembly bosses, the fact that the office of the Chief Minister is located on the first floor has made the incursion to be viewed as a serious security lapse.

An office assistant, Palani who came about half hour early for his morning shift, first noticed the break-in. "When I passed through this way at around 7-30 a.m., I was surprised to see that the room was open. I stepped in and saw the fan running. There was no one inside. I switched off the fan and came out to inform my superiors," Mr. Palani, told senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner (Washermanpet), P. Thamaraikkannan.

The room, occupied by an Assembly Deputy Secretary, was sealed following his suspension late last month. Assembly staff said it was possible to enter the sealed room from an adjoining one, as there was no wall in between. The police did not want to make any inspection during office hours and hence, just past 6 p.m. the DC and fingerprint experts arrived on the scene and looked for clues.

Asked whether a first information report was lodged, Mr. Thamaraikkannan said the police were "in the process" of doing so. Investigations had only commenced and he was not in a position to give any more details.

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