Madras High Court Approves Bail for Man Accused of Mud Throwing at TN Minister
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Synopsis
On March 20, the Madras High Court granted bail to Ramakrishnan, accused of throwing mud at Tamil Nadu Minister K. Ponmudy during his visit to cyclone-affected Villupuram. The incident has sparked political debate and criticism regarding government disaster relief efforts.
Key Takeaways
- Madras High Court grants bail to Ramakrishnan.
- Accusations of mud throwing at Minister K. Ponmudy.
- Case raised concerns about political motivations.
- Protests by locals demanding relief measures.
- Incident highlighted government negligence in disaster response.
Chennai, March 20 (NationPress) The Madras High Court granted bail on Thursday to a man accused of throwing mud at Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K. Ponmudy during his visit to areas in Villupuram impacted by a cyclone.
Justice Sunder Mohan approved bail for the accused, Ramakrishnan from Iruvelpattu village in Villupuram, while addressing his bail petition.
Advocate A. Ashvathaman, representing Ramakrishnan, claimed that the charges against his client were fabricated. He highlighted that Ramakrishnan had already been in custody for over 20 days, despite the maximum penalty for the alleged offense being less than two years.
The advocate also argued that an arrest was unnecessary for such a minor accusation.
The incident transpired on December 3, when Minister Ponmudy, along with his son and Kallakurichi MP Gautham Sigamani, was visiting areas affected by Cyclone Fengal in Villupuram.
As the minister arrived in Iruvelpattu, hundreds of locals protested, accusing the government of inadequate relief and rehabilitation efforts. As Minister Ponmudy attempted to address the protesters, unidentified individuals reportedly threw mud at him and other officials.
A video capturing the incident quickly went viral on social media, igniting a significant political discussion.
Prior to this, the Madras High Court had denied anticipatory bail to Ramakrishnan, citing allegations that the incident was politically motivated. Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira dismissed the request after Government Advocate (Criminal Side) S. Santhosh argued that even the district Collector was not spared in the uproar.
The situation escalated further when local residents blocked the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway in protest, demanding immediate relief actions.
In response to the attack on the minister, Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai expressed criticism of the state government on social media platform X.
This incident has elicited strong reactions from both political factions, with opposition leaders using the situation to emphasize alleged government negligence in disaster relief efforts.
