New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on June 18 a plea of now-suspended Tamil Nadu Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H.M. Jayaram, who was arrested in connection with the abduction of an 18-year-old teenager following a stern directive by the Madras High Court.

A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday after Jayaram’s special leave petition (SLP) was mentioned for urgent listing.

His lawyer said: “Yesterday, an ADGP rank officer was arrested on the direction of the Madras High Court. The SLP has been filed today at 10 am. Kindly list the matter for urgent hearing.”

The SLP filed before the apex court seeks a stay on the Madras High Court’s order that had directed his arrest.

On Monday, Tamil Nadu Police took ADGP Jayaram into custody as he exited the Madras High Court premises, and he was immediately taken to Thiruvalangadu police station for interrogation. He was questioned for nearly six hours by the investigating officer, during which his formal statement was recorded as well. He is expected to be produced before a judicial magistrate in Thiruthani later this week.

The senior IPS officer is accused of facilitating the abduction of a minor boy by allegedly providing his official vehicle to a gang involved in forcibly separating a couple.

The Tamil Nadu Home Department on Tuesday issued an order suspending ADGP Jayaram.

The abduction case centres around a complaint lodged by a woman named Lakshmi, whose elder son had married a woman from Theni district against her family’s wishes. The couple reportedly went into hiding, fearing retaliation. In an attempt to locate the couple, members of the woman’s family, allegedly aided by hired men, barged into Lakshmi’s home and abducted her younger son in their absence. The boy was later found abandoned near a hotel, injured and traumatised.

Subsequent investigation revealed that an official car linked to ADGP Jayaram was allegedly used in the abduction, prompting the Madras High Court to take direct immediate action against the senior IPS official.

In a related development, Puratchi Bharatham Katchi leader and KV Kuppam MLA ‘Poovai’ M. Jagan Moorthy, who is also facing allegations of involvement in the incident, appeared before the Thiruvalangadu police on Tuesday morning. The case has triggered a political and administrative storm, with opposition parties demanding a transparent and impartial probe into the involvement of top officials and elected representatives.

–IANS

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