The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Armed gang razes woman entrepreneur's industrial unit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 06, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Armed gang razes woman entrepreneur's industrial unit

Staff Reporter

Dispute over land transaction cited as reason for the vandalism

They used bulldozers to demolish the building

DESTROYED: Workers surveying the debris of a private unit in Perungudi which was razed down by an armed gang recently.

CHENNAI : A small-scale unit in Perungudi run by a woman entrepreneur and her husband was razed by an armed gang on the night of December 1.

The miscreants barged into the premises located on Kanthanchavadi Lakshmanan Road and went on the rampage, wrecking machinery, computers, air-conditioners and other office furniture. They used bulldozers to raze the building down.

Export unit

Police said the unit run by the husband-wife duo Sudhir and Aruna Sudhir, employing 50 workers including women, produced spices for export to Arab countries.

According to their police complaint, the land measuring about six grounds belonged to Venkatraman of Mumbai and included a building measuring about 10,000 square feet.

The owner had let out the property to Mr Sudhir for a monthly rent of Rs 10,000.

Two years ago, the tenant had reportedly entered into a purchase agreement with the landlord for the six grounds, and advanced Rs 2 lakh. However, the registration of the land was not carried out, as Mr Venkatraman did not turn up, Mr Sudhir complained in his petition. Subsequently, he approached the court seeking justice and continued to remit the monthly rent regularly.

Meanwhile, a man who identified himself as Kothandaraman informed Mr Sudhir that he had entered into a sale agreement for the land with the owner and asked him to vacate the premises. As the issue was pending in the court, Mr Sudhir insisted they wait for the verdict.

However, on December 1, the unit came under attack, he complained.

Thoraipakkam police have registered a case under IPC Sections 147 (rioting), 379 (theft), 427 (mischief) and 506 (II) read with 114 IPC (criminal intimidation, insult and annoyance).

When contacted Mr Kothandaraman claimed that Mr Venkatraman had given a general power of attorney in his name. He said he had no knowledge about the demolition of the building.

The police are investigating the case; no arrest has been made so far.

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