CHENNAI: The principal sessions court in Chennai has granted interim bail for eight weeks to G Arul, one of the accused in the murder of BSP leader K Armstrong, for medical treatment as the police could not provide adequate escort for his treatment at a private hospital. Principal sessions Judge S Karthikeyan passed the order recently on a bail application moved by Arul who cited multiple health issues, including chronic parenchymal liver disease. The judge directed Arul to appear and sign before the court daily during the bail period if he is not hospitalised. Arul, one of the 24 accused in the case, has been incarcerated for 572 days.
He contended that prison authorities are neither providing adequate treatment nor allowing him to get admitted in a private hospital. When questioned by the court, the prison authorities stated the police were not providing a strong escort. “It is reported by the prison authorities that the inmates are not being taken to hospital outside the prison for treatment on the ground of non-availability of strong escort. Court also noticed that, in this month, at least five times Commissioner of Police reported that strength in large numbers is required for deployment in law and order duty,” the judge said. The judge also noted it was brought to the notice of the court that a large number of police personnel needed to be deployed for the purpose of election duty and therefore providing escort to prisoners for hospitalisation is not feasible.