MADURAI: Special anti-corruption court judge (in-charge) S Joseph Joy on Friday refused to remand AIADMK functionary and former deputy mayor PM Mannan and released him on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.

Mannan was arrested by the Central Crime Branch police on a complaint that he had offered money to a TVK MLA to vote against the government in a no-confidence motion.

The judge asked the police why they arrested Mannan on Friday when they issued him a summons to appear for questioning on Saturday.

The CCB police arrested Mannan after questioning him for hours, based on a complaint filed by TVK’s Madurai Central MLA Madar Badhurudeen, popularly known as Mustafa. Mustafa alleged he had received phone calls from Mannan with an offer of Rs 30 crore to be paid in two installments of Rs 15 crore each to vote in a no-confidence motion to be moved in the Assembly.

MP Diya, deputy commissioner of police (Headquarters), Madurai City, assistant commissioner Arokiyaraj and inspector Veerammal questioned him from 6 am on Friday and examined the call details on his mobile phone. The police had also summoned Kaniraj, the MLA’s personal assistant.

The police had earlier issued a notice to Mannan, directing him to appear before the assistant commissioner of police, Central Crime Branch-II, Madurai City, at 10 am on Saturday.

However, they brought him in a day earlier and, after the questioning and a medical examination, produced him before the judge at his residence, as the court was closed for a local holiday. The judge refused to remand him and ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 25,000.

Meanwhile, senior AIADMK leaders, including former ministers Sellur K Raju and RP Udhayakumar and former MLA Rajan Chellappa, met Mannan at the CCB office. They condemned the police for filing false charges and said the party had no intention of buying TVK MLAs to topple the government.