Bharatiya Janata Party former national secretary H. Raja on Friday appeared before the Judicial Magistrate court at Tirumayam in connection with a case that was booked against him by the Tirumayam police in September 2018 for his alleged derogatory remarks against the High Court and his barbs against the police.
The police had registered a case against Mr. Raja and seven others after they got into an altercation with the law enforcers who denied permission to erect a stage on the road during the Vinayaka Chathurthi celebration citing a High Court order. A video of the incident at Meyyapuram village near Tirumayam depicted Mr. Raja abusing the police and passing derogatory remarks against the High Court. The video went viral on social media platforms. The case against Mr. Raja was booked under various IPC sections, including 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony); 290 (public nuisance); 294(b) (uttering obscene words in public place) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty).
The Tirumayam police had filed the charge sheet against the accused and the Judicial Magistrate Court summoned them to appear before the court on July 23. The anticipatory bail petition filed by Mr. Raja was recently dismissed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which directed him to appear before the trial court. The Tirumayam Judicial Magistrate Court adjourned the next hearing in the case to September 17.
