The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions filed by three men who participated in the protests condemning the Karnataka High Court judgment in the Hijab case.
Justice K. Murali Shankar dismissed the anticipatory bail petition filed by Mohamed Rafi of Melapalayam in Tirunelveli district and Rajik Mohamed and Navab Sha of Adirampattinam in Thanjavur district.
In the Thanjavur case, the two Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath functionaries had participated in the protests that was staged near the Adirampattinam bus stand on March 18. During the protest, Jamal Mohamed, another TNTJ functionary criticised the judgment in an aggressive manner.
In the Tirunelveli case, MMMK party functionary Mohamed Rafi spoke against the judgment at the protest held near a tea stall in Melapalayam in Tirunelveli district on March 20. He was booked for the speech made at the protest.
During the hearing, the State submitted that considering the nature and the way in which both the speeches were made, whether there is any larger conspiracy and who were behind such dangerous speeches are to be investigated.
The court observed that in both the cases the speakers had exceeded the limits and went to the extent of threatening the judges of the High Court and the Supreme Court. Considering the seriousness and gravity of the offences, the court said that it was not inclined to grant the anticipatory bail to the petitioners and dismissed both the petitions. Earlier, the court had dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions filed by nine TNTJ members who had participated in the protests held in Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts.
