Chennai: In a major embarrassment to the DMK and the Tamil Nadu police, it has come to light that one of the office-bearers of the ruling party’s NRI wing and film producer AR Jaffer Sadiq, is the alleged kingpin of an international drug racket.
The DMK sacked Sadiq from the primary membership of the party. Party general secretary Duraimurugan in a statement said its NRI wing Chennai West district unit’s deputy organiser, was being “dismissed” from the DMK for violating party discipline and bringing disrepute to the party. It made no reference to his alleged involvement in the drug racket.
The Delhi Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau in a joint operation had busted an international drug cartel dealing in pseudoephedrine following a tip off from the New Zealand customs authorities and the Australian police. Using inputs from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, it had seized 50 kg of the banned substance recently. The Delhi Police said three persons from Tamil Nadu were arrested and its kingpin a film producer was “absconding”.
Sadiq, incidentally, has produced an upcoming Tamil film directed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin’s daughter-in-law Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, who is also the wife of Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
BJP state president K Annamalai demanded an explanation from the Chief Minister on the issue. He pointed out that Sadiq was seen in the company of Stalin and Udhayanidhi when he made a contribution to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund. Also there was a photo of Sadiq receiving a shield from State DGP Shankar Jiwal at a function.
