The industrial fraternity in Tamil Nadu (TN) has rallied behind TVS Motors Chairman Venu Srinivasan in a case filed in the Madras High Court relating to the theft of an idol at the Chennai Kalapeeswarar Temple in Mylapore.

Times of India reported that the industrialists have issued a statement saying that Srinivasan had been dragged into the case on fake charges and with an objective to publicly humiliate him.

Led by T Kannan, Thiagarajar Mills chief, M Manickam, Coimbatore-based Sakthi Group of Companies Chairman, M M Murugappan, Murugappa Group Chairman, Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, LMW Group Chairman, and P R Venketrama Raja, Ramco Group Chairman, Vijay Sankar, Sanmar Group vice-chairman and Vinod Dasari, Ashok Leyland CEO, the industrialists told the TN government that Srinivasan was one of the most philanthropic industrialist in South India and his work in social and religious field was well-documented.

Last week, a writ petition was filed in the Madras High Court by ‘Elephant’ G Rajendran pointing out to a first information report (FIR) registered by police against him over a missing idol from Mylapore Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple.

Rajendran cited a complaint from a devotee Rangarajan Narasimhan that alleged Srinivasan replaced an antique peacock idol at the temple. The case has now been transferred to the Crime Branch CID Idol wing.

The idol wing has given an undertaking in the Madras High Court that Srinivasan will not be arrested for six weeks after he filed a petition seeking anticipatory bail. Srinivasan sought advance bail expressing the fear that he could be arrested in connection with the petition filed by Rajendran.

TVS Chairman

Get Swarajya in your inbox.