Former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday got anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court in a criminal case against him.
Justice B.Rajendran passed the order on a petition by Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, son of PMK founder S.Ramadoss, at a special sitting.
In the petition, filed through counsel K.Balu and M.R.Jothimanian, the petitioner said the allegation against him was that on August 8 after his vehicle crossed the tollgate at Chengurichi, Villupuram district, party cadre in other vehicles picked up an argument with staff at the toll plaza. In the melee, the toll booth was damaged. The Ulundurpet police registered a case.
Counsel S.Ananthanarayanan said the petitioner was not involved in the incident. Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss had also instructed the cadre who indulged in the activity to surrender before the police. He was not in favour of such an incident. The petitioner had issued instructions to his party men not to indulge in such activities in future.
Opposing the plea, the Advocate-General, A.L.Somayaji, along with the Public Prosecutor, S.Shunmugavelayudham, contended that the offences alleged against the petitioner were serious ones. Three cases had been registered against the petitioner earlier. Being a leader of a political party, Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss ought to have stopped the cadre from damaging public property.
Mr.Justice Rajendran said the fact remained that the petitioner was at the scene of occurrence. Since there was a delay in letting the leader’s car to pass, there was a wordy altercation between the party cadre and the toll plaza staff, and it resulted in damage to public property. Therefore, it could not be said the petitioner was not in any way responsible for the incident.
The petitioner’s counsel said he had reprimanded his party men for indulging in such activity. He also submitted that Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss would not allow his party cadres to indulge in such kind of activity in future and would take moral responsibility as a party leader.
The court said the petitioner ought to have exercised adequate control over the partymen. Having regard to the fact that already three persons had been arrested and the petitioner was willing to cooperate with investigation, it was inclined to grant him advance bail.
Mr.Justice Rajendran ordered that the petitioner should be released on bail in the event of his arrest or on his appearance before the magistrate concerned subject to the condition that he should deposit Rs.two lakh to the credit of the criminal case before the Judicial Magistrate (JM), Ulundurpet. He should execute a bond for Rs.20,000 with two sureties each for a like sum to the satisfaction of the JM or to the police officer who intended to arrest him, within two weeks. He should report before the Ulundurpet police station for two days immediately after execution of the bond and thereafter as and when required.
Special Correspondent writes from Villupuram:
Three PMK men who were part of the group accompanying Pattali Makkal Katchi Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday allegedly beat up a toll plaza employee Santhosh Kumar of Sengurichi for “stopping the motorcade of ‘Chinna Aiyya’ (referring to Mr. Ramadoss), police sources said.
The cars in which Mr. Ramadoss and partymen were travelling reached the toll plaza at night. As a bus ahead of them was awaiting clearance, the impatient partymen kept honking.
Soon after the bus left the place the automatic gate closed to which the partymen took strong objection. Anticipating a problem the employee opened the gate. After crossing the toll plaza the three cars stopped at some distance away and the partymen got down from the vehicles. They rushed to the cabin and smashed the glass panes and the computer.
On a complaint from the employee, the police registered cases against Mr. Anbumani Ramadoss and eight others.
