HC bench grants bail to former AIADMK ministers

Madurai,Jan18 (PTI) The Madras High Court bench here todaygranted unconditional bail to former Chief Minister OPanneerselvam and two former AIADMK ministers besides twoother partymen in a case pertaining to ''attempt to murder''during a bye-election campaign.

Panneerselvam, former ministers K A Sengottaiyan,Pollachi V Jayaraman, former AIADMK MP Thanga Tamilselvan, andanother AIADMK leader Tirumangalam M Jayaraman were grantedbail in a case filed against them by the Koodakovil Police onDecember 2008 during campaigning for the bye-election inTirumangalam near here.

Justice C T Selvam directed them to appear before theJudicial Magistrate Court if and when summoned.

A Judicial Magistrate court at Tirumangalam had on January12 declined to recall the non-bailable warrant issued againstthe five. On the same day, the High Court bench had posted thehearing of their anticipatory bail plea for today.

Police on Dec 12, 2008 had filed cases against theaccused on charges including attempt to murder, rioting,pelting stones at police vehicles and preventing publicservants from discharging their duty.

The petitioners submitted that they had gone to Eliyarpathivillage on the Madurai-Aruppukottai road on the day of theincident to meet their party speaker and actor Ramarajan,whose car they said was attacked by rival partymen.

Melur MLA R Samy of AIADMK and 51 others were arrested inconnection with the same incident and later released on bailon Jan 12, 2009.