Speaker's permission not needed to arrest MLAs, say Assembly officials

CHENNAI: Law enforcement agencies do not require the permission of the Assembly Speaker or the Assembly Secretariat to arrest a sitting MLA, Assembly officials clarified on Monday (July 20).

The clarification came after Vilathikulam DMK MLA GV Markandeyan, who was arrested by the Thoothukudi District Crime Branch police on Monday morning for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay at a DMK public meeting in Kovilpatti, claimed that the police should have obtained the Speaker's permission before arresting him as he was a legislator.

When contacted, Assembly officials said there is no legal requirement for the police or any law enforcement agency to seek prior permission from the Speaker or the Assembly Secretariat to arrest an MLA.

However, they said that once an MLA is arrested, the concerned law enforcement agency is required to inform the Speaker about the arrest. Accordingly, a communication regarding Markandeyan's arrest has been sent to the Assembly Secretariat.

Sources said the Assembly Secretariat has, in turn, communicated the information to all MLAs through a postal intimation.

Markandeyan's arrest is the second arrest of an Opposition MLA from Thoothukudi district within 30 days. Earlier, DMK MLA Anitha R. Radhakrishnan was arrested in connection with another case over alleged derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister.