Activist Mugilan arrested on rape charges

Environmental activist T Mugilan, missing for nearly six months, was found in a railway station in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. He was brought to Chennai after the police handed over the activist to Tamilnadu police at Katpadi around Saturday midnight. He was brought to Chennai in the wee hours of today and CB-CID police conducted a detailed enquiry. While addressing media persons in Katpadi, Mugilan alleged that he was kidnapped and tortured for 90 days.

Meanwhile Tamilnadu police announced that he has been arrested on rape charges. Mugilan was missing since 15 February - the day he held a news conference in Chennai alleging police complicity in the Tuticorin police firing last year in which 13 demonstrators protesting against Vedanta's copper smelter were killed. The activist disappeared under mysterious circumstances after boarding a train to Madurai at Egmore station. The police, based on CCTV images, claimed the activist exited Egmore station soon after boarding the train.