The CBI has taken over the investigation into the May 9 attack on Madurai office of Tamil daily Dinakaran by supporters of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s son M K Azhagiri in which three employees of the newspaper were killed.

 Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had himself sought a CBI probe as his family members were involved in the incident which followed a survey published by Dinakaran on the succession issue in the DMK which showed his son Azhagiri in poor light. Dinakaran is run by Mr Karunanidhi’s grand-nephew and Sun TV owner Kalanidhi Maran.
A CBI team led by special crime branch superintendent of police T S C Bose, now in Madurai, has obtained records and CDs pertaining to the case from the office of the superintendent of police T S Anbu.
The team visited the Dinakaran office on Saturday and met news editor A Muthupandian, whose complaint naming Mr Azhagiri as the brain behind the attack is yet to be registered by the local police.

 HC notice
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has already issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government, but not to Mr Azhagiri, on a petition filed by Opposition AIADMK alleging that Mr Azhagiri is functioning as an extra-constitutional authority in southern districts. 
The monitoring and action committee of the Human Rights Defenders —Tamil Nadu, has urged the CBI to look into the complaint of Mr Muthupandian while re-registering the case.
Henry Tiphagne of the People’s Watch, who is a member of the committee, has said the committee will move the Supreme Court for the cancellation of the bail granted to Mr Azhagiri in the murder of former DMK minister T Kiruttinan.

Nine arrested
Nine persons, including main accused, ‘Attack’ Pandi, have been arrested so far. Of these, Madurai Mayor G Thenmozhi and her husband, who led the first batch of protesters and burnt copies of Dinakaran in front of its office, have been booked for less serious offences.
Mr Karunanidhi got the party behind him to force his grand-nephew Dayanidhi Maran out of the Union Ministry for defying his diktat to stop the survey on his political successor which triggered the violent protests.