HC rejects pre-arrest bail for ex Deputy Mayor

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today rejected the anticipatory bail plea of former Deputy Mayor of Tiruchirappalli Corporation Ashik Meera of AIADMK in a rape case.
Justice P N Prakash dismissed the bail plea of Meera as he repudiated the marriage with the complainant R Durgeswari on whose complaint police booked him for rape and cheating.
Police last year booked Meera, son of former Minister Mariam Pichai, after Durgeswari filed a complaint stating that he had cheated her after promising to marry.
The woman said they had physical relationship even after Meera, who resigned as Deputy Mayor after the issue surfaced, married another woman. She said she became pregnant due to him twice and had a baby through him.

Apprehending arrest in the case, Meera moved the court.
During the hearing today, the Judge said he was not inclined to the give the anticipatory bail to Ashik as he had "repudiated" the marriage with the complainant.

When Meera's advocate pointed out that his client had only repudiated the marriage but never repudiated the parentage of the child, the Judge asked him to file an unequivocal affidavit before the court, preferably in Tamil, stating that he was the father of the complainant's child.
He, however granted anticipatory bail to Meera's mother-in-law and his two friends who had allegedly threatened Murugeswari not to pursue the case.

While the Judge ordered all the three to execute a bond for Rs.10,000 and two sureties each for a like sum, he directed the two friends also to spend two weeks at the Gandhi Ashram here and do social service. The curator should report to the court after the period.
The judge then posted the case for further hearing to January 21 and asked Meera and Murugeswari to appear before the court.