CPM Leader Alleges Unlawful Detention Of Economist A Kalaiyarasan In Chennai

CPM Tamil Nadu state secretary P Shanmugam has alleged that internationally recognised economist and Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) associate professor A Kalaiyarasan was picked up by plain-clothes policemen in Chennai in the early hours of Wednesday. 

Condemning the reported incident, the CPM leader called the alleged treatment of the academic intolerable and questioned whether Tamil Nadu was turning into a "police state".

In a statement posted on X, Shanmugam said that if there was a complaint against Kalaiyarasan, the police could have registered a case and summoned him for an inquiry instead of resorting to such action.

The circumstances surrounding the reported incident could not be independently established. Kalaiyarasan was not accessible for comment, and the police had not issued an official statement or responded to requests for comment from senior officers.

However, an unverified letter purportedly written by Kalaiyarasan to the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, dated October 28, provides further details of the alleged incident. The contents of the letter could not be independently authenticated.

According to the letter, three plain-clothes policemen arrived at the economist's Adyar residence around 5 AM while he was asleep. They allegedly took his mobile phone and told him he had to accompany them for an inquiry into an abusive social media comment. The letter claims that they did not show him any authorisation or provide a copy of a complaint or FIR.

The letter further alleges that the policemen took him away in a rented car without giving him an opportunity to inform his family. He claims he was allowed to contact friends only after repeated requests.

According to the account in the letter, the personnel later showed him a screenshot of an abusive comment allegedly directed at Pallavaram TVK MLA J Kamatchi. The Instagram account carrying the comment reportedly displayed Kalaiyarasan's photograph but used a different username. He allegedly told the police that he had no connection with the account and had never maintained an Instagram account.

The letter says he was asked to submit a written statement denying any association with the account, after which his phone was returned and he was dropped back home around 7.45 am. He purportedly sought action against the personnel, describing the episode as harassment and unlawful detention.

These details remain unverified, and neither the authenticity of the letter nor the allegations described in it could be independently confirmed.

Kalaiyarasan is known for his research on political economy, development and Tamil Nadu's growth model. His academic work includes The Dravidian Model, published by Cambridge University Press. He has held positions at institutions including the Planning Commission, the Institute for Studies in Industrial Development, King's College London, Brown University, IIT Bombay and the National Law School of India University.

He has also contributed to the Tamil Nadu government's Economic Survey on industrial policy and the labour market. In a recent television  interview, he spoke about the rise in prices of essential commodities in Tamil Nadu.

The police are yet to publicly clarify whether a complaint was registered, whether Kalaiyarasan was questioned or the legal basis for the reported action.