Advance bail granted to TN BJP leader, 6 others

Chennai, Aug 9: The Madras High Court today granted anticipatory bail to a woman BJP leader of Tamil Nadu and six other party activists in a criminal case involving an alleged clash between cadres of ruling AIADMK and the saffron party.

State BJP Secretary Vanathi Sreenivasan, who had also contested as a Coimbatore (South) candidate in the recent assembly elections, was granted bail. Justice S Vaidyanathan, before whom the petition came up today, granted conditional bail to all the seven persons.

He directed the male party workers to appear before police for a week and women cadres, as and when required by police. Coimbatore police had registered an FIR under various IPC sections against Vanathi and six other BJP activists on a complaint by an AIADMK councillor over an alleged clash involving BJP workers on June 15.

Vanathi, in her petition alleged that a mob of 30 people belonging to ruling AIADMK had not allowed her to take her car and a wordy duel ensued between cadres of both parties. The incident had occurred when she had gone for a condolence prayer meeting, she said.

She alleged that the councillor and other persons blocked her car, used unparliamenty words against her and attempted to attack her. A duel ensued between party workers belonging to both BJP and AIADMK and cadres from both sides were injured, she submitted in her plea.

The councillor lodged a false complaint against them and police registered a case against only BJP workers, she said.

As police had also filed a charge sheet, she and other party activists apprehended arrest and so moved the high court, seeking anticipatory bail.

PTI