The bail petition of former Agriculture Minister Agri S.S. Krishnamoorthy was dismissed by a court here on Wednesday.
He was arrested in connection with the case pertaining to the suicide of Agricultural Engineering Department Executive Engineer S. Muthukumarasamy and is lodged in the Palayamkottai Central Prison since April 5.
When the bail petition came up, District Judge M. Nazir Ahmed rejected the plea.
Appearing for the petitioner, lawyer Kathiresan said the police could not provide any evidence to prove its charge that Mr. Krishnamoorthy had forced the official to take the extreme step of committing suicide and that even the deceased officials’ family had not charged that the ex-minister was behind Mr. Muthukumarasamy’s suicide.
“A case of abetment of suicide can be registered against a person if he or she had compelled the victim to commit suicide for his or her personal gains, which was yet to be proved by the CB-CID, the investigating agency,” Mr. Kathiresan said.
Public Prosecutor Sivalinga Muthu appealed to the judge to dismiss the petition, saying that the former Minister could influence the witnesses that would seriously affect the ongoing investigation.
Hearing adjourned
In Madurai, the Madras High Court Bench adjourned to April 29 the hearing on a bail application filed by M. Senthil, a top official of the Agricultural Engineering department accused of abetting the suicide of Muthukumarasamy who jumped before a speeding train in Tirunelveli on February 20.
Justice K. Kalyanasundaram deferred the hearing to enable a government counsel appearing on behalf of the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department, which had arrested Mr. Senthil as well as Mr. Krishnamoorthy on April 4 in connection with the suicide case.
(With additional reporting by Special Correspondent in Madurai)
He was arrested in connection with case pertaining to Agricultural Engineering Department engineer’s suicide
