COIMBATORE: The district sessions court in Nilgiris on Monday imposed a penalty of `10,000 on tourism minister K Ramachandran for repeatedly failing to appear in hearings pertaining to a case booked in 2013.
Minister Ramachandran, along with some others, was booked in connection with a clash between DMK and AIADMK cadre during the elections to the post of vice-chairman of Wellington Cantonment Board held in 2013.
Police booked a case against ten AIADMK cadre and three DMK cadre including Ramachandran. The district sessions court is hearing the case. On Monday, after repeated failure to appear in court, Minister Ramachandran, and two others - Bharathiyar, an AIADMK functionary and DMK functionary Vinodh, were ordered to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each. They were directed to deposit the amount to a temple trust in Yedapalli near Coonoor.
Sources said the three continued to file the absent petition under section 317 CrPC and avoided appearing for the hearing. The court has ordered the three to appear for the next hearing on March 30, said sources.