The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : CB-CID likely to probe preacher case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 11, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

CB-CID likely to probe preacher case

Staff Reporter

Complaints pour in from all over State

KANCHEEPURAM: The multi-crore cheating scam allegedly committed by the minority religion preacher and his associates is likely to be transferred to the CB-CID or a special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the scam. Enquiries reveal that after the arrest of Anandaraj of Perur on August 3, building contractors have started approaching the Chennai City Police Commissionerate, the District Police Headquarters Office in Kancheepuram and police stations in other parts of the State to lodge complaints against the preacher. The preacher declared himself as a Bishop.

The list of complainants included building contractors from neighbouring States such as Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh also. Around 30 contractors from southern districts met Superintendent of Police A. Amalraj recently and preferred individual complaints stating that each one of them has been duped by the preacher to the tune of several lakhs.

Almost all of them have stated that the cheques issued by Mr. Anandaraj were dishonoured.

Thus, the action of the preacher and his associates attracted penalisation under the provisions of Sec.138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act apart from the Sec.420 of IPC, official sources said.

Hence, formation of a special investigation team to collect documentary evidence to prove the allegation and also find out the list of properties purchased by the preacher and his associates with the money collected as "caution deposit" from the contractors, has become necessary. At the same time, the possibility of these cases getting transferred to the CB-CID is not ruled out in view of the amount involved, the sources added.

However, the Mamallapuram sub-division police, who have arrested the preacher, have formed four special police parties, which have fanned out to different parts of the State and as well as neighbouring States to trace the relatives of Anandaraj, who went into hiding and to collect further details with regard to the complaints received so far.

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