AAP nominee Udayakumar seeks pre-arrest bail in criminal case

Anti-nuclear activist and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat S P Udayakumar has sought anticipatory bail from Madurai Bench of Madras High Court in a 2012 criminal case connected to an anti-KNPP protest in which a non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against him.
Vallior Judicial Magistrate Court had issued the NBW after the case was registered against 30 persons, including Udayakumar, for allegedly misusing religious institution for a protest against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.
The petitioner said the police had filed the case on Feb 21, 2012 under IPC and Religious Insitution (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988 for allegedly assembling in front of the St Lurdhu Matha Church, and sat on hunger strike to commit riot against the KNPP.

They were also charged with shouting slogans against the plant and planned to restrain the employees from entering it and invite all the villagers to join their demonstration.
The petitioner contended that the hunger strike was not an offence and they had been given right to do the same.
He claimed that including Religious Insitution (Prevent of Misuse Act), offence, under which, is non-bailable, in the chargesheet was an afterthought and an act of vengeance.
He said he would not flee from justice or evade inquiry and offered to furnish substantial sureties and also abide by all the conditions of the court.

Justice R S Ramanathan issued notice to the Police and posted the case for hearing on April 1.