Coimbatore: Preliminary investigations in the illegal Gutka manufacturing unit has revealed that a former Panchayat president, Dalapathi Murugesan had helped Amit Jain, the unit owner to run it for the last few years.

According to a release from Superintendent of Police, Pa Murthy, the special team investigating the matter found that Murugesan had helped Jain, who was running the unit, without industrial licence for constructing in a residential area, and not paying taxes, (though he was paying property and water taxes.)

There was also no pollution board clearance for running the unit since 2011, when the unit started manufacturing gutka and pan masala in 2013 and Murugesan reportedly assisted Jain for the ‘illegal activities’ it said.

Murugesan, a DMK functionary, along with 10 others had staged protests when the unit was raided on April 27 and prevented the officials, it said adding that 648 kgs of ‘VIP’ Brand tobacco products and other materials worth Rs.78 lakh were seized from there.

While Murugesan and six others were arrested and remanded to custody, search is on for DMK MLA, N Karthik and two others Thangaraj and Sundaram.

Further investigations are on the role of Murugesan in the matter, as police have seized some documents, cell phone and lap top from the office and manager Raghuraman and three other workers who have already been arrested.

Police are on the look out for Jain, a native of Peethampura in New Delhi, the release said.