The CBI has arrested Ramadoss’s brother Srinivasan alias Seeni Gounder and the party’s former headquarters secretary N M Karunanithi for their alleged role in the murder of one Muruganandam, a relative of state minister C Ve Shanmugam, five years ago.

On May 8, 2006, the day of the Tamil Nadu assembly polls, a group of PMK men allegedly attacked Shanmugam’s house in Dindigul over political rivalry that was brewing for some time. Though Shanmugam hid under his car and escaped, his brother-in-law’s brother Muruganandam, a former PMK man who switched sides to join the AIADMK, was killed.

Shanmugam had accused Ramadoss, his son and former Union minister Anbumani and several others of conspiring and staging the attack in the complaint filed with local police. But police excluded Ramadoss and Anbumani in its FIR, leading to allegations that there was a deliberate motive behind delaying and sabotaging the probe. The PMK was then part of the ruling DMK-led alliance in the state and also a part of the ruling UPA at the Centre.

As the investigations went ahead at a snail’s pace, the accused persons came out on bail. Soon afterwards, N R Raghu, the prime accused, was found dead.