CHENNAI: Former Minister for Fisheries and senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar is likely to walk out of prison as he has been granted bail in the third case against him on Friday.
Justice AD Jagadish Chandira of the Madras High Court granted him conditional bail in the case relating to a property dispute between his son-in-law and the latter's brother.
The judge ordered him to fulfill the conditions to stay in Tiruchy for two weeks and appear before the Cantonment police station imposed in the DMK cadre assault case and then appear before the CCB of Greater Chennai Police.
The prosecution pressed for not releasing him on bail while Jayakumar's counsels contended the case was foisted on him though he had not intervened in the dispute between his son-in-law Naveenkumar and the latter's brother Mageshkumar.
The vocal leader of AIADMK was held by the police on February 20 over the first case relating to assaulting and parading half-naked a DMK cadre for allegedly attempting to cast bogus vote in booth at Royapuram on the polling day.
Subsequently, an arrest was also effected in a road blockade case and the property dispute case.
He was already granted bail in the first two cases.
The bail application filed by the ex-minister in the third case stated the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police ‘falsely implicated’ him in the case due to ‘political vendetta’ by using the brother (Magesh) of his son-in-law Naveenkumar.
He noted that the dispute over the property, on which both had an equal share, occurred in 2016 and later in 2020 but the police have taken action against him only now and there is no explanation for the enormous delay in registration of the FIR and further proceedings.
Jayakumar had moved the High Court since the Principal Sessions Court in Chengalpet had rejected relief for him in the case.
Saying that there is no prima facie case made out against him, Jayakumar said the action is motivated and aimed at tarnishing his reputation and image and the contents of the FIR are civil in nature but have been given a criminal colour.
He said he is a law-abiding citizen and is willing to abide by the conditions imposed by the court, adding that if he is not released on bail, he would be put to irreparable loss and mental agony.