Says he does not remember seeing him at fête

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee working president Mayura Jayakumar on Thursday denied having acquaintance with Thirunavukkarasu, a key accused in the Pollachi sexual abuse case. Mr. Jayakumar gave a statement in this connection to the CB-CID, which wanted to verify Thirunavukkarasu’s claim that he had met the Congress leader on February 12, the day a college girl alleged she was sexually abused by him the accused and his three friends.

Mr. Jayakumar told The Hindu that CB-CID had summoned him to check the accused’s claim.

“Thirunavukkarasu claimed to the investigators that he was at the District Congress Committee office on February 12 where a felicitation was held in connection with my elevation to the post of TNCC working president. Several cadre, friends and well wishers had come to wish me. I don’t remember seeing him at the reception nor do I know him or his father Kanagaraj personally,” he said.

As per the FIR in the case, the girl was sexually abused after 1 p.m. on the Unjavelampatti–Dharapuram road on February 12. Thirunavukkarasu reportedly claimed he had come for the felicitation around 11.30 a.m. and left around 2.30 p.m. after having lunch.

Mr. Jayakumar said it was difficult to remember the faces of all the people who felicitated him. He said the whole felicitation was held in the hall of the party office and he had not met anyone in private.

“I was told by partymen from Pollachi that Kanagaraj was with the Congress when G.K. Vasan was in the party. A partyman named Rajasekaran had brought around 30 people, including the father and son from Pollachi for the felicitation. It seems Thirunavukkarasu came for the function as his father does not drive,” said Mr. Jayakumar.

Though the party office had high definition surveillance cameras, visuals of February 12 were not available in the recorder as a day’s video automatically gets erased after 15 days. The party leader was trying to source photos and videos taken by others to be handed over to CB-CID. “Though I was asked to appear before the investigating team before February 25, I chose to appear on Thursday itself and gave a written statement,” he added.