Elangovan gets anticipatory bail from HC

Madras High Court today granted conditional anticipatory bail to Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President E V K S Elangovan in a criminal intimidation and harassment case filed against him on a complaint of a woman.

Justice S Vaidyanathan granted the relief to Elangovan and co-accused Narayanan, a staff at the Kamarajar Arangam, an auditorium run by a TNCC-administered trust which is headed by the state chief of the party.

The Judge directed the two to stay in Madurai for 15 days and sign and mark their presence in the Thallakulam Police station.

While declining immediate relief, the court had on August 21 adjourned to today the hearing of the anticipatory bail pleas of Elangovan and Narayanan, who apprehended arrested in connection with the case registered by Teynampet Police here on the complaint by Valarmathi, a former employee of the auditorium.

The woman had levelled some allegations against the two in connection with the auditorium's functioning and also accused them of threatening her.

In his petition, Elangovan had submitted that the woman had been terminated from service on May 1 last and a case is pending before the labour court for her reinstatement.

He further contended that it was a false complaint filed with vague and baseless allegations for 'political reasons' and without any specific date or time (of occurrence of the alleged intimidation).

The complaint was filed amid week-long protests by AIADMK against Elangovan for his alleged derogatory remarks about the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa here.

Jayalalithaa had yesterday appealed to her party workers not to continue with the state-wide protests against Elangovan.