The Principal Sessions-cum-District Court here granted bail to Thenkarai Town Panchayat Chairman Pandi in a temple pujari suicide case on Monday.
Earlier, Mr. Pandi surrendered before the court and sought bail. Judge Sivagnanam granted bail even as the Public Prosecutor objected to granting of bail to Pandi.
He was one of the seven accused in the case. Periyakulam Municipal Chairman O. Raja, brother of PWD Minister O. Paneerselvam, was also an accused in the case. But he has not surrendered before the court.
Initially, the police registered a suicide case, and later included the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
In 2012, Nagamuthu, pujari of Kailasanathar Temple in Periyakulam, committed suicide and alleged in a suicide note that O. Raja and six others were responsible for his death.
The police registered a case, but did not file a charge sheet.
When a petition was filed in the High Court Bench in Madurai, the court directed the police to file a charge sheet and expedite the case.
