The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday directed actor Kushboo to surrender before the Judicial Magistrate at Andipatti in Theni district and file a bail application which the magistrate was ordered to consider on the same day and pass appropriate orders.
Justice R. Mala passed the order while disposing of an anticipatory bail application filed by the actor apprehending arrest in a case registered by the Andipatti police against her and eight others on charges of unauthorised campaigning in the locality on March 26 for the Assembly elections. Petitioner's counsel P.N. Pandidurai and S. Mohan Kumar said that the case has been booked under Sections 143 (being a member of an unlawful assembly), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code.
Additional Public Prosecutor P. Ramar said that the police had filed a charge sheet against all the other accused in the case except the actor, who had been shown as absconding. The lower court too had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against her on September 9.
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The P.C. Patti police station in Theni district too had registered a similar case against her on the charge that she proceeded with the campaigning from Andipatti police station limits to P.C. Patti limits on the same day without obtaining permission from the authorities concerned.
Ms. Justice Mala granted conditional anticipatory bail to the actor in the second case as no charge sheet had been filed so far. The petitioner was ordered to appear before the jurisdictional magistrate every day and sign the register until further orders.