CHENNAI: Eleven days after being arrested and imprisoned for parading a DMK cadre by stripping off his shirt alleging that he had come to cast a bogus vote, the Madras High Court has granted bail to former AIADMK minister D Jayakumar with strict conditions.
Justice AD Jagadish Chandira granted bail on Thursday to the ex-minister after the police said it had no objection to releasing him on bail since the complainant was discharged from the hospital. Yet, the police sought strict conditions for the bail and wanted him to submit a written assurance that he would not involve himself in such incidents in future.
Subsequently, imposing the conditions, the judge directed Jayakumar to stay in Tiruchy for two weeks and appear before the Cantonment Police station three days -- Monday, Wednesday and Friday -- in a week.
Senior counsels Sanjay Hegde and A Natarajan, appearing for the senior AIADMK leader, contended that the complainant had not suffered any injuries and the medical report too proved the same.
The case was foisted on him for purely political motives, they argued.
Jayakumar, one of the vocal leaders of the principal opposition party, landed in trouble after the dramatic parading of DMK cadre Naresh Kumar half-naked on February 19 during polling to the Greater Chennai Corporation at Royapuram.
He led a group of his partymen who had taken off the shirt of Naresh Kumar, tied his hands from behind and paraded him alleging that he had come to the polling booth for casting a bogus vote.
A day after the incident, the Tondiarpet police booked a case against him before arresting him. After initial resistance, he cooperated with the police and was remanded to judicial custody.
The former Fisheries Minister filed a bail application before the Principal Sessions Court, Chennai, but it was summarily rejected citing the gravity of the allegations.
He is also booked in two other cases.