The Madras High Court today declined to relax the anticipatory bail conditions imposed on Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President E V K S Elangovan in a criminal intimidation and harassment case and restricted the number of persons accompanying him while fulfilling the norms.
Disposing of a petition by Elangovan, Justice S Vaidyanathan rejected his prayer that he be allowed to stay here and sign before the Inspector of a local police station.
The Judge ordered that two advocates could accompany him to the Thallakulam Police Station in Madurai and only two vehicles could be allowed in the station complex.
Elangovan had gone to the station with a convoy comprising 11 vehicles which was questioned by the court yesterday.
Justice Vaidyanathan had on August 24 granted anticipatory bail to Elangovan and another person, directing them to stay in Madurai for 15 days and sign and mark their presence in Thallakulam station at 10.30 AM everyday during the period.
Elangovan had yesterday faced protests by AIADMK workers at the hotel where he was staying in Madurai and also at the police station when he turned up there to fulfil the bail conditions.
Citing the protests over his alleged 'derogatory' remark about a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, his counsel had yesterday sought relaxation of the bail norms.
The court had said it would pass detailed order if a petition was filed.
When the matter came up for hearing today, Elangovan in his plea wanted him to be allowed to stay in Chennai itself and sign before the inspector of Teynampet police station, where the case has been registered.
Besides Elangovan, Narayanan, a staff at the Kamarajar Arangam, an auditorium run by a TNCC-administered trust, was also granted anticipatory bail in the case filed on a complaint from a former woman employee of the auditorium.
Jayalalithaa had recently asked the party workers not to continue with the state-wide protests against Elangovan, but despite it a large number of party men and women gathered outside the police station in Madurai and raised slogans against Elangovan and also pelted eggs and dung at his convoy yesterday.
