Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko was on Monday lodged at the Central Prison in Puzhal in connection with a sedition case registered in 2009 by the erstwhile DMK government.
Mr. Vaiko, who voluntarily surrendered before the 14th Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Egmore (now functioning in Lily Pond Complex), refused to execute the bail bond, following which the presiding officer remanded him in judicial custody for a period of 15 days.
The MDMK leader had, on July 15, 2009, participated in a function organised in Chennai to release the Tamil translation of his book ‘I accuse’ — a compilation of letters written by him to the then Prime Minister about the Central Government’s aid to Sri Lanka during Eelam War IV.
Addressing the audience, he allegedly criticised the Central and State Governments and accused them of abetting the genocide in the island nation.
Taking cognisance of his speech, the police registered cases against him under Section 124(A) (Sedition) and Section 153(A) (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language) of the Indian Penal Code. A year later, the police filed the charge sheet against Mr. Vaiko before the 14th Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
On Monday, Mr. Vaiko voluntarily surrendered before Magistrate S. Gopinathan. When the Magistrate asked him whether he was willing to execute the bond to be let on bail, Mr. Vaiko expressed his unwillingness to do so. He then asked the court to proceed as per law.
In his brief order, the Magistrate recorded that the accused surrendered voluntarily and that he was neither served the summons nor was on bail, and hence remanded in custody till April 17.
Before leaving for prison, Mr. Vaiko told The Hindu , “The case was foisted on me by the erstwhile government headed by DMK president M. Karunanidhi because I exposed the betrayal of the UPA government led by Congress in which the DMK was a constituent. Therefore, out of political vendetta, he got this case registered against me.”
Mr. Vaiko was taken to the Central Prison amidst tight security.
