MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to P. Dhanapal, former HR and CE Commissioner, who is wanted in the Palani idol case.
Justice G.R. Swaminathan, while granting the bail, imposed conditions, which included surrender of his passport before an appropriate jurisdictional magistrate. Dhanapal was asked to stay in Kumbakonam for a period of 60 days for inquiry, from the date of his surrender.
The court directed Dhanapal to bear the cost of security personnel to be placed on the premises and said he would have no access to telephone. It had imposed similar conditions on Muthiah Sthapathi, the Chief Sthapathi of the department, and K.K. Raja, former Executive Officer, while granting them bail in the Palani idol case.
The court observed that the incident occurred in 2004 and there was a lapse in time and custodial interrogation was not required in the case. Dhanapal, in his petition, claimed that the allegations against him were based on presumptions and assumptions, which could not be a ground to register a case. He said that he would abide by any condition the court imposed for granting anticipatory bail.
The case against the petitioner was filed under Sections 403 (Dishonest misappropriation of property), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant), 418 (Cheating), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 120-B (Punishment for criminal conspiracy) and 477 A (Falsification of accounts) of the Indian Penal Code.
Idol Wing police were on the look out for the former HR and CE Commissioner after he failed to respond to the summons issued. Summons were sent to both his residences in Chennai and Pudukottai, his native place. His earlier plea for advance bail was rejected by a vacation court of the High Court Bench.
