Morphing row: Ex-BJP leader's anticipatory bail plea rejected

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday refused to grant interim protection from arrest to former BJP state vice-president Karuppu Muruganandam, who has sought anticipatory bail in a case registered against him based on a complaint by a Bengaluru-based woman who alleged that he uploaded morphed photos and videos of her on social media.

Karuppu Muruganandam, in his anticipatory bail petition, denied the allegations levelled against him by Divya Seshadri of Bengaluru in her complaint lodged at the Tiruchy police commissioner’s office on September 24, alleging that he had been in a close relationship with her, uploaded morphed photographs and videos intended to defame her on social media, and cheated her.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against him.

Muruganandam claimed that Divya Seshadri was living separately from her husband, had sought his help and had expressed an interest in joining a political party. He said she had been introduced to him and that he had extended various forms of assistance to her.

When the case came up for hearing, counsel for Muruganandam sought anticipatory bail for him. However, counsel for Divya Seshadri opposed the grant of anticipatory bail and sought to implead her as a respondent.

The court refused to grant interim protection from arrest. It then directed the police and Divya Seshadri to file their respective counter-affidavits and adjourned the case to Friday.