File photo of Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala
The husband of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's close aide Sasikala, Natarajan, has been arrested by the Chennai Police.
Natrajan was arrested after a complaint of intimidation against him by Sihan Husseini, a Chennai-based Karate expert and sculptor. Mr Husseini had alleged that he was summoned and threatened by Mr Natarajan over a Rs 2 crore deal to deliver a giant sculpture to be installed at the Mullivaaikaal Memorial at Thanjavur, established by a pro-Tamil World Tamil Confederation Trust (WTCF) in memory of the killing of Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka during the final phase of the war between Sri Lankan army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
"Mr Natarajan had paid me Rs 25 lakh as advance and later paid some more against bills. When I asked him to settle the remaining Rs 1.23 crore he threatened I'd be shot dead," Mr Husseini told NDTV.
Police have not yet divulged the sections under which Mr Natarajan has been arrested. Highly placed sources in the police say he's being brought to Chennai from Shenkottah, in Tirunelvelli district. Even the local police had no clue of this.
Mr Natarajan was arrested in January 2012 as well, following his expulsion from the AIADMK along with his wife Sasikala and few of her family members.
However the Tamil Nadu chief minister revoked action against Ms Sasikala after she disowned her controversial relatives.