MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court issued notice to the state government on a batch of petitions filed by Income Tax (I-T) Department officials seeking cancellation of bail granted by a lower court to the persons, who allegedly manhandled, assaulted and obstructed them from performing their duty during a search operation with regard to a case against Minister Senthil Balaji's brother Ashok Kumar in Karur district.
One of the petitioners, Deputy Director of I-T (Investigation), Chennai, SN Yogapriyanga said when they visited the premises on May 25 for a search operation, a mob thrashed and verbally abused the officials before snatching some important documents from their hands. Karur district police subsequently arrested the men, however, a magistrate granted them bail.
The petitioner claimed the magistrate had not exercised the necessary judicial discretion required to be exercised while granting the bail. The magistrate also failed to consider the fact that materials snatched away by the mob from the officials had not been recovered so far, and denied even a minimum opportunity to the I-T department to oppose the bail, the petitioner said. Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan issued a notice to the state government and adjourned the case to July 10.