Madras HC Rejects MLA Jagan Moorthy’s Anticipatory Bail

The High Court of Madras cancelled the anticipatory bail application moved by KV Kuppam MLA "Poovai" Jagan Moorthy on the case registered against him on charge of abduction of a minor boy.

The request of the MLA to get bail was rejected by justice G Jayachandran, who said that there was "prima facie" material against him.

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The MLA had come to court as he feared that he would be arrested as the Thiruvallur Police Station had come up with an abduction case against the man being a complaint of one Lakshmi. Lakshmi had complained that her elder boy had married a girl against the will of the girl family. After this, family of the girl, under the guidance of some miscreants, searched in their house and they searched her elder son. The miscreants kidnapped her younger son who happened to be 18 years old since the elder son and his spouse went into hiding. Laksmi also claimed that then her son was dropped beside a hotel, wounded.

In the initial days that the matter was brought up, Justice P Velmurugan had reprimanded the minister saying that he is performing executions in a kangaroo court instead of serving his people. The MLA had been instructed by the court so that he could collaborate with the investigating agencies.

This anticipatory bail plea was subsequently filed in front of the Justice Jayachandran after an order of the Supreme Court.

On the matter being resumed today, Senior Advocate Prabhakaran, representing Jaganmoorthy said that he did not have any direct connection with the entire event and that he was dragged into the case only through the confession statement of one Maheswari which was not admissible evidence. Prabhakaran thereupon submitted that the said prosecution against Jaganmoorthy was acting with malaise intention and political bitterness and he was elected in the said seat on a ticket of AIADMK.

Prabhakaran claimed as an MLA, many people used to come to meet him or call on daily basis, and so in the same manner Maheswari had come with the parents of the girl to him. But he further said since that is an act committed by a law-abiding citizen Jaganmoorthy had requested the parties to approach the police and get legal assistance. Other than this he said that Jaganmoorthy had nothing to do with the case.

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Prabhakaran further added that according to the order accepted by the court, Jaganmoorthy had reported to the police and had cooperated fully in matters concerning the investigation. He also offered to extend his full cooperation to the investigation that is based on his being a public servant and there was no need of custodial interrogation either.

Rebutting the anticipatory bail Additional Advocate General J Ravindran indicated that, as far as Jaganmoorthy was concerned it was no longer the case that he had voluntarily submitted before the investigating authorities and even that, when he did appear, he was not cooperating with the authorities since the responses he gave were evasive. Ravindran further said that the case was still in its initial phase since the case had been given to the CB-cID only three days ago.

Ravindran also indicated that there were high chances of intimidation since Jaganmoorthy was a legislator. He has pointed his finger that as the police themselves had been terrorized by Jaganmoorthy and his party men when they had enquired him as part of investigations to the MLA, the common people who opposed him would also be scared.

Ravindran, too emphasized that the purpose of the appeal was to decriminalise politics in the State and pleaded with the court that the bail plea should not be considered as one of the routine pleas.

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