HC grants anticipatory bail to 5 councillors

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today granted conditional anticipatory bail to five councillors of Sankarankovil Municipality in connection with a case registered against them for allegedly abusing the woman Chairperson and damaging municipal properties during a council meeting on March 11.
Justice P.N.Prakash directed the councillors -- three independents, one DMDK and one AIADMK -- to pay Rs.5,000 for damaging the properties of the municipality as a condition for granting the bail.
The councillors submitted that the Chairman of Municipality Rajalakshmi had given the complaint against them charging that they abused her in filthy language and damaged properties of the municipality during the council meeting.

Police have registereed a case under Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Act and Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act.
The petitioners submitted that they did not indulge in violence during the meeting and were only staging a sit-in opposing the decision finalising a tender for road works in an 'arbitrary' manner.
The complaint against them was false and they were innocent, they said and sought anticipatory bail.