In what came as a shock, Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs) were thrown at the residence of the Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, Raj Bhavan, in Chennai. The perpetrator behind this act of terror has been identified as ‘Karukka’ Vinoth who has a history of similar criminal activities and violence.
According to reports, Vinoth executed his plan by siphoning gasoline from motorcycles parked at the Saidapet Court premises. He then transferred the stolen fuel into two containers and ignited them. The incident occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m. on 25 October 2023, near the main entrance of Raj Bhavan, frequently used by Governor RN Ravi.
However, Vinoth was arrested by the police suo moto under vandalism charges. This led to accusations of foul play, with Raj Bhavan posting on their official handle, insinuating that the investigation was tainted from the start.
— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) October 26, 2023
As this drama unfolded, DMK Law Minister S. Regupathy, DMK MLA I Paranthamen, DMK IT Wing and Sun News added to the controversy by sharing half-truths. They claimed that the advocate who had helped Vinoth secure bail was a member of the BJP, causing a political firestorm.
The DMK IT Wing shared a post on their social media handle, alleging that Muthamizh Selvakumar, a member of the Thiruvarur District BJP Advocate Unit, had appeared for Karukka Vinoth to secure his bail. This assertion quickly gained traction.
BJP's cheap plan exposed!
Muthamizh Selvakumar, who belongs to the Thiruvarur District BJP Advocate Unit, appeared for Karukka Vinod, who threw a petrol bomb near the Raj Bhavan, to get bail for him in the previous case. pic.twitter.com/EpItrebl9p
— DMK IT WING (@DMKITwing) October 26, 2023
The same lies were propagated by Sun News, the media channel of the ruling DMK run by Kalanithi Maran.
#அரசியல்Click | ஆளுநர் மாளிகை முன் பெட்ரோல் குண்டு வீசிய வழக்கில் கைதான கருக்கா வினோத், ஏற்கனவே பாஜக அலுவலகம் முன் தாக்குதல் நடத்தப்பட்ட வழக்கில் கைதானபோது, அவரை ஜாமினில் எடுத்த வழக்கறிஞர், பாஜகவைச் சேர்ந்தவர் என்பதற்கான ஆதாரம் வெளியானது!#SunNews | #RNRavi | #BJP | #Rajbhavan pic.twitter.com/NMjxBRtuXI
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) October 26, 2023
However, upon investigating the matter, it was revealed that the advocate in question, Muthamizh Selvakumar, had no affiliation with the BJP. Furthermore, he was unaware that his name had been used in the bail application for Vinoth. Selvakumar clarified that it was his juniors who had filed and signed the bail petition.
DMK’s lies got exposed within 1 hour.
Damn it ! 😂 https://t.co/dyIyJfC2Pl pic.twitter.com/JPy2rqT8VV— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) October 26, 2023
Muthamizh Selvakumar was quoted as saying, “I don’t belong to any party. As a lawyer, I have represented members of various political parties. I have taken cases from all sides. Currently, I hold no position in the BJP. In 2022, we handled the bail application for Karukka Vinoth, but I have no direct connection with him.”
Additional information came to light when the Tamil Nadu BJP confirmed that Muthamizh Selvakumar had resigned from the party in 2021.
ஆளுநர் மாளிகையில் பெட்ரோல் வெடிகுண்டு வீசிய நபரை இதற்கு முன் ஜாமீனில் எடுத்த திமுகவினர்.
ஆளுநர் மாளிகை மீது பெட்ரோல் குண்டு வீசித் தாக்குதல் நடத்திய கருக்கா வினோத் என்ற நபரை சிறையிலிருந்து ஜாமீனில் வெளியே கொண்டு வந்தது, திமுக நிர்வாகிகள் இசக்கிபாண்டி மற்றும் நிசோக் ஆகிய இருவர்… https://t.co/4MzcF6nTir pic.twitter.com/ddasD972Av
— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) October 26, 2023
Further investigation revealed that the juniors, identified as “Esaki” and “Nishok,” who had signed the bail petition and assisted in securing Vinoth’s release, were, in fact, DMK functionaries. They had used Muthamizh Selvakumar’s name without his knowledge or permission to facilitate Vinoth’s bail.
Later online evidences showed that Muthamizh Selvakumar (online name Muthamizh Selvan) himself was a lawyer affiliated with the DMK. His Facebook posts reveal that he is a DMK sympathizer. In one of the posts he had exalted the late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi and in another he praised DMK MP A. Raja.
Bail எடுத்த சல்லிங்க இவரோட ஜூனியர்ங்க. ரெண்டுமே உபிஸ், அதுவும் உதாயன்னா பாசறை.
பாஜக காரர்ன்னு இவங்க சொல்ற முத்தமிழ் செல்வன் அவரே நான் பாஜக ல இல்லன்னு சொல்லியாச்சு.
சரி யாருதான் அப்படின்னு பாத்த இவரும் திமுக அனுதாபி
பிராடு உபிகளா 😂 https://t.co/sx3JklGQ7O pic.twitter.com/xcNXOA9sJz
— இந்தா வாயின்கோ – Take That (@indhavaainko) October 27, 2023
It was revealed that Vinoth had been released on bail just a few days ago for a 2022 case in which he had thrown petrol bombs at the BJP HQ in Chennai, Kamalalayam. Upon his release, his next stop was the Raj Bhavan where he threw a petrol bomb and was caught by the security personnel there before he could throw the remaining Molotov cocktail bottles he had on his person.
The incident has raised serious questions about the alleged manipulation of facts and the politicisation of the legal process amid a high-profile criminal case. This is seen as being accompanied by the local media’s tendency to downplay the significance of harm to a constitutional office.
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