MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday granted bail to a shopkeeper of Panjakulam village in Tenkasi, who was arrested last month for refusing to sell snacks to school children belonging to a Scheduled Caste.
Justice G Ilangovan passed the order while allowing an appeal filed by the shopkeeper, S Maheswaran, challenging the dismissal of his bail application by a Sessions Court in Tirunelveli on September 28. However, the judge added that Maheswaran should stay in Tiruchy and report before the lower court there, until further orders.
Meanwhile, the judge dismissed the appeal filed by two more, K Ramachandran and his mother Sudha, who were also arrested in the case. Their appeal was dismissed on the ground that this was not the first such allegation against the duo and they already have a similar case pending against them.
According to the prosecution, a video went viral on social media in which a shopkeeper was seen denying snacks to some school children by citing a resolution passed in the village not to sell any products to people of the SC community. Based on the video, Karivalamvanthanallur police registered a case on September 16 and arrested Maheswaran, Ramachandran and Sudha.