Vaiko refuses to seek bail, court sends him to jail

Vaiko, in a bid to put pressure on Chennai police to start trial in a sedition case pending against him since 2009, appeared before the XIII Metropolitan Magistrate Gopinath and offered to surrender by filing a surrender petition.

The magistrate on recording the surrender offered to release Vaiko on his own bail. But Vaiko declined the offer and refused to file any bail application. This left the Magistrate with no choice but to send the MDMK leader to judicial custody. 

Vaiko is said to have resorted to this act, since courts and police showed no urgency in commencing the trial. MDMK spokesperson and advocate Nanmaran told reporters that despite repeated attempts from Vaiko, the prosecution made no effort to proceed with the trial. 

The matter relates to the release of Vaiko’s book ‘ Naan Kutram Sattugiren ’ (I am accusing you), which is a compilation of his letters to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2009 at a hall on Anna Salai in Chennai. Thereafter, the Thousand Lights police slapped a case against him for his ‘seditious’ speech. 

Police completed investigation and filed chargesheet in 2010. But thereafter there had been no sign of trial in the case prompting Vaiko to surrender. It may be noted that though the Magistrate court’s role is limited to committing the matter to sessions court for trial, even that process is yet to be completed.