Coimbatore: Former IPS officer Kuppusamy Annamalai, who recently turned to politics by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, was booked by the Coimbatore City Police on Friday, on charges of unlawful assembly and violation of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

The police also booked four other BJP leaders, namely district president R Nandhakumar, state general secretary GK Selvakumar, state treasurer SR Sekar and state vice president Kanagasabapathy.

It can be recalled that on Thursday, August 27, Annamalai arrived at the BJP party office on VKK Menon Road in Coimbatore, where he was felicitated by a group of party functionaries and cadres. Later, the former IPS officer addressed the media and party members.

A police official said that action was taken against the newly inducted BJP politician and other party members for conducting a ceremony in the presence of a crown at a public place while the lockdown protocol was in place.

Reportedly, the case was registered at the Katoor police station in Coimbatore under sections 143, 341, 269 and 285 of the IPC and section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act.