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Two employees of advertisement hoardings company arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

Chennai Jan. 6. Two employees of a private advertisement hoardings company were arrested by the police when they allegedly threatened an engineer of the Chennai Corporation who tried to prevent them from putting up a hoarding near Kotturpuram bridge on Sunday.

The police said they wanted to question the promoter of the Seven Stars advertising company, N.Devarajan.

According to the FIR, the Assistant Engineer of Division 116, C.Tamilazhagan, was threatened with iron rods by the two workers, identified as Rajasekaran and Mahalingam of the company, when they were prevented from putting up the hoardings on vacant land adjacent the Kotturpuram bridge. The FIR said workers did not heed the engineer's warning that the hoarding did not have the Corporation's permission and hence, was unauthorised. The workers reportedly told Mr. Tamilazhagan that the owner of the company had asked them to go ahead with the work.

The hoardings controversy has in recent months intensified, amid allegations of a nexus between some politicians and the outdoor advertisers. Following an opposition demand, the Deputy Mayor `Karate' Thiagarajan, tabled a statement in the Corporation Council, on the status of hoardings in the city. But the DMK councillors in the previous council meeting raised objections saying the statement did not clarify the allegations involving ruling party politicians who were engaged in such encroachment. In his reply, Mr. Thiagarajan said a detailed statement on the irregular practices during the previous regime would be tabled in the coming council meet, which would include any special concession given to Seven Stars in terms of permission and payment dues.

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