Tamil Nadu minister’s PA kidnapped from office; released within hours

The personal assistant (PA) of Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry Minister ‘Udumalai’ K Radhakrishnan was on Wednesday kidnapped by four unidentified men and bundled into a car at knifepoint, in a shocking incident that has been caught on CCTV cameras.

Hours after the incident, Karnan, the PA, was “released” by his kidnappers in Dhali town panchayat limits, 15 km from Udumalpet where the minister’s office is located.

“He (Karnan) has been secured. He is safe and fine. We have launched a detailed investigation into the incident. The district police has intensified efforts to nab the kidnappers,” Tiruppur District Superintendent of Police (SP) Disha Mittal told Deccan Herald.

The exact reason for kidnapping the minister’s PA will be known only after the investigations, Mittal added. Officials said Karnan and his colleague at the minister’s office are also being questioned on the incident.

Karnan was at the minister’s office in Udumalpet, 510 km from here and 65 km from district headquarters Tiruppur when four men barged into the premises and took him away forcibly at around 11.30 am.

A video recording, which has been accessed by Deccan Herald, shows a white Maruti Swift car waiting outside the Minister’s office for over a minute and four men dragging Karnan and pushing him into the vehicle before driving fast.

While one person covering his head with a cloth was standing outside the office, three people were seen dragging Karnan out of the office at knife-point, the video shows.

Radhakrishnan is an influential leader in Tiruppur district and was appointed as the Chairman of the state-owned Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation (TACTV) by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

After winning the 2016 elections, Jayalalithaa inducted Radhakrishnan into her cabinet and allotted him the Urban Development portfolio. In 2019, he was again appointed as the Chairman of TACTV.