Three persons surrendered before Theni Principal District and Sessions Court here on Tuesday in connection with a group clash at Melmangalam village and sought bail.
The surrendered were Muthu Ram (22), Puli Raja (22) and Ajith Kumar (18) of Melmangalam. Earlier on June 21, they appeared before Justice Vimala of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, seeking bail in this case.
She advised them to surrender before the Theni court and gave a direction to the court to consider their bail application and dispose of it on merit.
Special Public Prosecutor A. Vellaisamy, who opposed granting of bail to the accused, said that the situation was still very tense at Melmangalam and heavy police deployment had been made at the village.
The presence of the three would instigate communal violence in the village again, he said.
After hearing the bail plea and arguments, Theni Principal District and Sessions Court Judge M.M. Krishnan granted conditional bail to the three accused, and directed them to sign at the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Uthamapalayam, at 10 a.m. every day for 15 days.
They should not enter Melmangalam. If they failed to follow the conditions, their bail plea would be cancelled, he said.
The communal violence erupted at Melmangalam in Periyakulam block when two sections of people at the village clashed with each other over removal of a poster pasted in connection with Sri Pattalathamman Muthiah Temple festival on June 6.
The police immediately arrested Bose (40), Vijay (19), Mohan Kumar (21), Ashok Kumar (21) and Chelladurai (26) of Melmangalam and lodged them in jail.
No bail
They could not get bail till now owing to the strike by advocates against the amendments to the Advocates Act.
Muthu Selvam (18) and Muthu Vel Pandi (34) and three schoolchildren – Arivukarasan (14), Muthu Pandi (10) and Thamizh Selvam (12) – were injured in the clash.
