The son and daughter-in-law of the ruling DMK legislator were arrested and remanded to judicial custody allegedly for harassing their teenaged domestic help, police said on Friday.
The couple, Anto Mathivanan, 35, and his wife Maarlina, 32, of Thiruvanmiyur were arrested after a police team under the Inspector of Neelangarai All Women Police Station, went to Ulundurpet Government Hospital and concluded the interrogation of the domestic help. During the investigation, the 18-year-old maid said that she used to work in an apartment at Thiruvanmiyur and that the couple harassed and assaulted her, a release said.
On Friday, the police had registered an FIR against Mathivanan, son of DMK MLA I. Karunanidhi, and his wife Maarlina for reportedly beating and verbally abusing the domestic help belonging to Scheduled Caste. Immediately after the news about the involvement of his son and daughter-in-law in the case spread, Karunanidhi distanced himself. He and his son lived separately and that he had no idea about the allegation, he had said.
On January 16, the Ulundurpet Government Hospital informed the police about an 18-year-old woman undergoing treatment at the said hospital for injuries on her body. A police team under the Neelangarai AWPS Inspector rushed to Ulundurpet for the inquiry. The special police team arrested Anto Mathivanan and his wife Maarlina on January 25 and produced them before the court today. They were remanded to judicial custody, the release said.