CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has granted a stay on the 13-year sentence for PR Pandian, the president of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations Coordination Committee, who was convicted in a case for damaging the ONGC property.

In 2015, a group of farmers led by farmer leader Pandian staged a protest at Kariyamangalam in Tiruvarur district against the installation of deep borewells by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) for oil extraction in the Cauvery Delta region, citing extensive damage to the agricultural lands.

During the protest, ONGC properties were allegedly damaged, following which the Vikkirapandiyam police registered a case against Pandian, former panchayat president Selvaraj, and 22 others.

After the trial, the Tiruvarur sessions court sentenced Pandian and Selvaraj to 13 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 13,000 on each of them.

The court acquitted the remaining 22 accused in the case. Following the verdict, Pandian was lodged in the Tiruchy Central Prison. The farmer leader filed an appeal challenging the conviction and sentence before the Madras High Court. In the petition, he also sought suspension of the sentence and a grant of bail.

The petition came up for hearing before Justice Sunder Mohan. Senior counsel V Raghavachari, the petitioner's lawyer, submitted that a 13-year sentence has been imposed merely for participating in a protest as a farmer. He also pointed out that only two individuals had been convicted, and the remaining 22 people were acquitted.

After hearing the submissions, Justice Sunder Mohan suspended the sentence imposed on PR Pandian and Selvaraj. As a result, both are set to be released from prison.