An AIADMK member, Suresh Kumar, 40, has been arrested in Tamil Nadu's Salem for running an illicit brewery. This arrest occurred during a statewide police operation to identify and dismantle illegal distilleries in the wake of the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which resulted in 53 deaths.Â
AIADMK general secretary Edapadi K Palanisamy clarified that Suresh Kumar, who joined AIADMK from DMK in 2018, is no longer associated with the party. Palanisamy emphasized that all individuals involved in such illegal activities must be punished regardless of their party affiliations.
Police sources indicated that Suresh Kumar has several pending cases related to the possession and sale of spurious liquor. During a patrol in Attur, police discovered Kumar's hooch brewery near Manapachi village, destroyed the illicit liquor, and arrested him. He has been charged under Sections 4(1)(a), 4(1-A) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act and Section 329 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The arrest coincided with AIADMK's protest in the state assembly over the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which led to their suspension for a day due to disruptions during Question Hour.Â
Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin noted that the assembly had already thoroughly debated the Hooch tragedy, detailing the steps taken by his government in response. He accused the AIADMK of engaging in "planned activities" as a reaction to their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
