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Azhagiri bail plea dismissed

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI JUNE 18. The principal district and sessions judge, S. Sivaprakasam, today dismissed a bail petition filed by M. K. Azhagiri, elder son of former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, who has been in judicial custody in the Kiruttinan murder case. The investigation was incomplete, the judge said.

This is the second time Mr. Azhagiri's bail petition has been dismissed. Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate court extended his remand till July 2.

The High Court Public Prosecutor, I. Subramanian, who appeared before the district judge, expressed an apprehension that the petitioner, if granted bail, "would tamper with evidence". The complainants feared that their lives were under threat. Pointing out that the investigation into the May 20 murder of the former DMK Minister was not over, the prosecutor said four more persons were yet to be apprehended. "The bail should not be granted at a crucial period, when new material (evidence) was surfacing."

The investigation faced a lot of hurdles as "the police were forced to seek court permission to search the premises of the accused, even when they had legal powers," the prosecution submitted.

Contending that there was "credible material and documentary evidence to prove the motive", the public prosecutor said a telephonic conversation between the petitioner and the other accused, P.M. Mannan and S.R. Gopi, before and after the murder only showed that Mr. Azhagiri "was in contact with (the accused)". Besides, the prosecution collected material evidence proving that Mr. Azhagiri had developed a "simmering animosity" towards Kiruttinan. The public prosecutor pointed to a specific incident in Madurai during which "Mr. Azhagiri threatened Kiruttinan with dire consequences".

The police also cited a letter written by Mr. Azhagiri to Mr. Karunanidhi explaining the "humiliation heaped on him by the deceased" when he participated in a party protest meeting at Sivaganga on April 23.

However, the defence counsel argued that a letter proving that the "misunderstanding between Mr. Azhagiri and Kiruttinan was resolved amicably" would be submitted tomorrow.

Earlier, counsel prayed that as custodial interrogation of Mr. Azhagiri was over and as a prosecution witness identified two others as accused, Mr. Azhagiri, who has been in prison for close to a month, be granted bail.

Mr. Azhagiri had been brought from the Tiruchi prison. The entire district court complex was cordoned off by the police, who denied reporters' entry into the court hall. A couple of lensmen, who tried to photograph Mr. Azhagiri were also pushed aside by the security personnel. Some of the advocates shouted at the police for not allowing them to talk to Mr. Azhagiri.

Our Tiruchi Staff Reporter reports:

The DMK deputy general secretary, M. K. Stalin, visited Mr. Azhagiri in the Central Prison in Tiruchi today. The meeting lasted about 40 minutes. This is the second meeting between the brothers since Mr. Azhagiri was interned.

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