Ex-AIADMK MLA, 4 others get bail in sedition case

Salem: Former AIADMK MLA S E Venkatachalam and four others, who were arrested earlier this month in connection with distributing pamphlets that allegedly contained defamatory remarks against the central and state governments, were granted bail on Tuesday.

A local court in Salem also granted anticipatory bail to 8 supporters of sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, who were booked on charges of sedition for the same offence.

It is to be noted that Dhinakaran had said in Chennai that he would not approach the court for anticipatory bail. Karnataka state AIADMK secretary Pugazhendhi also hadn’t moved the court for anticipatory bail.

The Annadhanapatty police said Venkatachalam and others had distributed pamphlets blaming the central and state governments for the death of medical aspirant S Anitha, who committed suicide after she scored low in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The police booked Dhinakaran, Pugazhendhi, former MLAs Vetrivel, S K Selvam and S E Venkatachalam and 12 others, and arrested Venkatachalam, M Chandran, R Surya, V Kalaivani and R Sasikumar on October 2 on charges of sedition based on a complaint lodged by AIADMK zonal secretary K R S Saravanan. They had also registered a case under Sections 164, 143, 153, 500, 504 and 506(2) of the IPC.

“Venkatachalam mentioned in the pamphlets that both the central and state governments had killed Anitha and that they were to blame for her death,” the police had then said. The pamphlets featured the photos of Dhinakaran, Pugazhendhi, Vetrivel, Selvam and Venkatachalam.

Venkatachalam had mentioned in the pamphlets, which were distributed in Dadagapatti area in Salem on September 29, that the state had become a slave to the central government and the BJP. Venkatachalam and his supporters had distributed the pamphlets.