50 AMMK cadre get bail in Kovai violence case

The AMMK cadre were returning home in cars after participating in a meeting on the night of May 18, when AIADMK workers intercepted them and a clash ensued on the Vadavalli-Thondamuthur Road.

Protesting the incident, AMMK members, led by former MLAs ‘Challenger’ Durai and Rohini Krishnakumar, blocked the road for over an hour.

As talks failed, police arrested 56 AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran’s supporters, including five women, besides the woman MLA.

They all were booked on three counts for blocking the road, causing damage to public property and attempt to murder charges.

A holiday sessions court on May 24 gave bail to six women but denied it for 50 others.

When the hearing on another bail plea came up on Thursday, Agustus, counsel for the AMMK members, argued that the case was foisted on his clients with a political motive. “Even the four persons, who were said to have been injured in the alleged attack by 50 AMMK workers, were not hospitalised even for a day,” he said. Though prosecution counsel Arumugam objected, vacation court judge Gunasekaran granted conditional bail to the 50 cadre.

The court ordered the 50 people to pay a deposit of Rs 3,000 each for damaging public property and asked them to sign in the Judicial Magistrate’s court daily in the morning and evening.