CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) has directed the police and the alleged victim girl to file counter to the bail plea of DMK MLA Karunanidhi's son and daughter-in-law in the case booked for allegedly physically abusing an 18-year-old housemaid.
The jailed couple Anto Madhivanan and Marlena Ann moved the MHC challenging the sessions court order denying bail.
The case was listed before Justice M Nirmal Kumar. After the perusal of the appeal petition, the judge directed the police and the alleged victim girl to file a counter to the appeal. The judge posted the matter to February 21 and directed the alleged victim to appear before the court on the day of the next hearing.
A video testimony of a girl, Rekha from Ulundurpet, Kallakurichi, belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) went viral on social media as she narrated how she was tormented by the MLA's daughter-in-law. Rekha alleged that the MLA's son Anto Madhivanan and daughter-in-law Marlena Ann assaulted her and abused her with casteist slurs.
Based on the information from the video testimony, police reached the victim girl for her statement and booked a case against the couple under various sections including SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. The special team arrested the couple Anto Madhivanan and Maria Ann on January 25 in Andhra Pradesh.
Subsequently, the couple filed a bail petition before the Madras High Court, which was then transferred to the principal sessions judge, Chennai. After hearing the contentions of the couple the sessions court dismissed the bail plea on February 6 and subjugated them under judicial custody.