Chennai: No signboard, no books and no visible publishing activity. The address of Agal Vilakku Pathippagam, embroiled in the Periyar Arivulagam book procurement controversy, led TOI to a two-storey residential building in Chennai’s Madipakkam. Attempts to trace Sigma Prints, the printing house named in its publications, also proved futile.Posing as a customer, a TOI correspondent sought Naladiyar Vazhvin Vazhikatti, which writer Perumal Murugan flagged for describing Naladiyar, a collection of 400 verses, as a Tamil poet. However, three women at the premises appearedunfamiliar with the publication and said no copies were available.The publisher’s address printed in the book led to Brahmaputra Street near a densely populated residential neighbourhood. Neighbours said they were unaware of a publishing house operating there. On the first floor, the women confirmed that Agal Vilakku Pathippagam operated from the building, which resembled paying guest accommodation. However, thefurnished residential space showed no signs of books being stocked or publishing operations.Asked about the person in charge, they provided a contact number, identifying the person as Mohana Rajavel. Multiple calls went unanswered, while subsequent attempts were blocked.The trail extended to Sigma Prints, identified in the book as its printer with the location in Chennai’s Old Pallavaram area. However, TOI‘sattempts to locate the establishment were unsuccessful.
A book allegedly written by an unknown person called “Trisha Vijay” in Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore
Meanwhile, figures attributed to the Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN database list 2,393 books registered under Agal Vilakku Pathippagam between Dec 3, 2024, and Feb 6, 2026, bearing 609 author names, including Trisha Vijay, whose identity Murugan questioned.
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