MADURAI: Former Union Minister and expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri was granted interim bail till Wednesday after he surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate Court I here on Tuesday in connection with a land grabbing case recently registered against him.
The court also directed him to sign for conditional bail at the Anti Land Grabbing Special Cell at the district Police office from Wednesday.
The case was registered by the Madurai police based on an allegation that Alagiri grabbed the land belonging to a Vinayaka temple under the control of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) at Sivarakottai and used it for Dhaya College of Engineering, owned by him and family members. The Judicial Magistrate Triveni granted him the bail on personal sureties of Rs 10,000 each provided by two persons. The court also directed him to sign for conditional bail at the Anti Land Grabbing Special Cell at the district Police office from Wednesday.
The lawyers, who appeared for Alagiri, said that he surrendered as part of the condition imposed by the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
On August 28, the anticipatory bail petition filed by Alagiri at the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court was adjourned by the court till September 3. The court also directed the police not to arrest him till then.
Shying away from the media, Alagiri, who arrived at the District Court Complex here on Tuesday morning, waited in his car for about 30 minutes until he was summoned.
When he walked inside the court, a group of 20 lawyers and bodyguards created a ‘security ring’ around Alagiri and walked with him, thereby restricting access for journalists and news photographers. Some of the news photographers were prevented from getting close to Alagiri and clicking pictures.
After he completed the formalities, lawyers accompanied Alagiri back to the car and he left the venue instantly. While he was coming out of the court, a few of his loyalists raised slogans in support of him.
The anticipatory bail petition is due for hearing at the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday.
The former Union Minister was expelled from DMK on March 25.