HC restrains police from arresting Tamil daily editor, publisher

Chennai, Sep 3 (UNI) Madras High Court restrained police from arresting the Editor and Publisher of a Tamil daily at Vellore late last night on a complaint preffered by an Islamic outfit in Vellore.

Passing orders on the anticipatory bail petition filed by Editor of the Tamil daily 'Dinamalar' R Ragavan and its Publisher R Sathyamurthy, Justice R Regupathy posted the petition for further hearing to September five.

Mr Ragavan and Mr Sathyamurthy had submitted in their petition that a case had been registered against them on a complaint preffered by an Islamic outfit in Vellore, following the publication of a cartoon in the daily on September one. Members of a particular community had been agitating in protest against the publication of the cartoon in front of the daily's office, they added.

They contended that such cartoons were borrowed from websites and they did not have any bad motive or intention of hurting the sentiments of any community.

The Judge issued an interim direction to the police not to arrest the Editor and Publisher till the disposal of the original criminal petition.

UNI XR SJ SB NS0958