A view of the Madras High Court. File
| Photo Credit: K. Pichumani
The Madras High Court on Wednesday (December 4, 2024) granted bail to Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK) leader K. Arjun Sampath’s son and the party’s youth wing leader A.S. Omkar Balaji in a case registered against him for having allegedly threatened to chop off journalist Nakkheeran R. Gopal’s tongue.
Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira granted the relief after taking into account that the petitioner was under incarceration since November 14 and on the condition that he must appear before the investigating officer attached to the Coimbatore City police every day until further orders.
According to the prosecution, the IMK had organised a protest meeting near Racecourse station in Coimbatore on October 27 to condemn those who oppose Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation and the Isha Yoga Centre located on the Velliangiri foothills.
IMK president Mr. Sampath, as well as the present petitioner, had participated in the protest. An autorickshaw dealer, also a member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, happened to hear the speech while passing by and lodged a police complaint the next day.
The complainant A. Abdul Jaleel had accused the present petitioner of having warned Mr. Gopal that he would be dragged to the streets like a dog, handcuffed, and locked up in prison when the DMK loses power in the State. He also alleged that the petitioner had threatened to chop off the journalist’s tongue.
The petitioner’s counsel argued before the High Court that the alleged statement was only a figure of speech and that it would be next to impossible for anyone to cut another person’s tongue.
Published – December 04, 2024 05:16 pm IST
