Finally, days after being at large, DMK MP Ramesh has on Monday surrendered before a court in Panruti in the Cuddalore district. Ramesh, who is a Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha representing the Cuddalore constituency, has been facing a charge of felony in connection to the death of a 55-year-old labourer, who was working in his cashew nut processing unit at Panikankuppam. Labourer Govindarasu had been working in Ramesh's cashew nut unit for eight years. 

Govindarasu was a native of Melmampattu and on September 19, he had gone to the factory and didn't come back home. When his family was searching for his whereabouts, the close associate of the DMK MP had informed Govindaraj's son that his father has died. When Govindaraj's son shocked to hear the news, he was told by the associate that his father's mortal remains were kept at the Mundiyampakkam government hospital in Villupuram. Govindaraj's son had rushed to the hospital and he developed suspicion over his father's death as he found several marks of injuries on his father's body.

Suspecting that his father would have been killed in the factory, he and his relatives sieged the Kadampuliyur police station and demanded the law enforcement agency to file a murder case against the DMK MP as the relatives alleged that he could have played a role in the death of Govindaraj. However, the reports say that the Kadampuliyur police had filed a case under the grounds of a suspicious death. The relatives had then held protests in front of the Cuddalore Collectorate with the demand to file a murder case against the MP.

The relatives had approached the Madras High Court with a petition of seeking the CBI probe into the death. After hearing the matter, the High Court has ordered to shift the body from Mundiyampakkam government hospital to JIPMER in Puducherry and to conduct an autopsy.  The Tamil Nadu government had transferred the probe to the CBCID and the crime department had launched its investigation into the matter. The autopsy report has confirmed that Govindarasu was beaten to death and as per the report, the CBCID had filed a murder case against DMK MP Ramesh. 

The CBCID officials had filed the charge sheet on September 24 and they had arrested five other accused - Nataraj, Pichai, Vinoth, Sundar, and Kandhavel, involved in the crime. However, the DMK MP was absconding and the probing officials had sought Lok Sabha Secretary's consent to arrest the MP. Days after being at large, Ramesh had on Monday -October 11, surrendered before a court in Panruti. According to reports, the police had said that on September 19, Govindarasu was stopped when he was returning home from work and Ramesh had questioned him about a theft that took place at the cashew unit and five men, who were now arrested, and Ramesh had reportedly started beating Govindarasu. 

After suffering serious injuries, Govindarasu was taken to the hospital for treatment. However, he had succumbed to the injuries on September 20. Following his demise, the case was transferred to the CBCID. Amid facing the charges of felony, Ramesh had issued a statement on Monday in which he said that some political forces were using the FIR against him for personal gain, which has affected the party and caused him pain. He said that with the view of curbing further false accusations against his party's leader, he would get surrendered in the court in connection to the charges filed against him. Ramesh claimed he will prove in court that the accusations lack evidence.