Supreme Court grants anticipatory bail to Tamil Nadu MLA in abduction case
A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and NK Singh said that the case needed further review.
The court said that if the police arrest Moorthy, he should be released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000, as long as he cooperates with the investigation and does not threaten witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Earlier, the Madras High Court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea citing initial evidence suggesting his involvement, Bar and Bench reported. Moorthy had challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court.
The case stems from a police complaint filed by one Lakshmi, whose elder son married a woman from Theni district against the wishes of her family. Fearing retaliation, the couple went into hiding. To trace them, members of the woman's family, with the help of men they had hired, allegedly abducted Lakshmi's younger son from their home.
The 17-year-old boy was later found near a hotel with visible injuries.
After a police complaint, several persons were taken into custody. Some of them reportedly mentioned Moorthy as being allegedly connected to the incident.
The MLA is accused of being involved in the abduction and is also alleged to have later prevented the police from questioning him by having party supporters gather around his home.
Moorthy is the chief of the Puratchi Bharatham party. He was elected as an MLA from the KV Kuppam Assembly constituency in 2021 on ally All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's ticket.
Moorthy's counsel argued before the Supreme Court that the MLA had been falsely implicated simply based on a co-accused's confession, without direct evidence.
Describing the case as being politically motivated, the counsel said: 'The relevant facts were omitted to be considered by the court and instead the High Court had drawn adverse remarks against the petitioner,' The New Indian Express reported.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
On SC order, CBI arrests DSP, 5 other J&K cops for ‘custodial torture' of colleague
A month after it registered a FIR on Supreme Court's directions in an alleged custodial torture case, the CBI arrested six policemen, including a DSP, on Wednesday. Police sources said the Central agency arrested DSP Ajaz Ahmad Sheikh, Sub-Inspector Riyaz Ahmad, and four policemen — Imtiyaz Ahmad, Hajagnir Ahmad, Shakir Ahmad and Mohammad Younis. The arrested cops were posted at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Kupwara, where Constable Khurshid Ahmad Chouhan, was allegedly tortured in February 2023. Officials said a SIT headed by DSP Subash Chander called the accused policemen for questioning and arrested them. 'The arrested cops have been kept in a Srinagar jail for now,' an official said. The cops have been booked for attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement and voluntarily causing hurt. On July 21, the SC had handed over the investigation of the case to the CBI and ordered it to ensure that police personnel responsible for the custodial torture of Chouhan are arrested 'forthwith and not later than a period of one month'. Furthermore, the apex court had set a deadline of 90 days for the CBI to complete the investigation from the date of FIR registration. Terming the alleged custodial torture 'deeply shocking' to its 'conscience', the SC had ordered a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Chouhan. It also asked the CBI to 'conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the systemic issues at the Joint Interrogation Centre, Kupwara', including examination of all CCTV systems, interrogation of all personnel present during the relevant period, forensic examination of the premises, and review of all protocols and procedures followed for detention and interrogation of suspects'. The alleged incident occurred in February 2023, when Chouhan was summoned to report at the Kupwara SSP office in connection with a narcotics issue. When he reached there, he was detained and allegedly tortured. Chouhan was admitted to the Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar with severe injuries. Chouhan's wife approached the J&K High Court seeking registration of a case against the policemen involved in the alleged torture of her husband. However, her plea was dismissed, prompting her to move the SC.
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
From Bhojpur to Mumbai, Bihar most-wanted's run ends in arrest
The Bihar Police have arrested one of the state's 'most-wanted' gangsters with several criminal charges and a bounty of Rs 2 lakh from Maharashtra's Palghar district. Harendra 'Butan' Chowdhury alias Buttan was tracked down by the Bihar Special Task Force (STF) and arrested on August 18 in a joint operation with Maharashtra Police, police said. Buttan faces 14 criminal cases that include charges of murder, robbery, dacoity, extortion and violations under the Arms Act across Bhojpur, Patna and Vaishali districts, Bihar Additional Director General of Police (STF) Kundan Krishnan said. 'He was brought back to Bihar on transit remand and presented before Ara Court Wednesday.' A native of Belaur village under Udwant Nagar Police Station in Bhojpur district, Police said Buttan is suspected to be the key conspirator in the April 2023 killing of Deepak Sao, a former Block Development Committee member and sweet shop owner. The murder was allegedly linked to local elections. 'On April 7, Bihar STF and Bhojpur Police recovered an AK-47, four magazines, 43 cartridges and two hand grenades from Buttan's residence in a coordinated raid. While he fled, his brother, Upendra Chowdhury, was arrested in the case,' ADG Krishnan said. In 2016, Buttan and his five associates were arrested for the possession of an AK-47 and other illegal firearms. Multiple warrants had been issued against him for arms smuggling, extortion and organised violence. According to the police, Buttan was hiding in Mumbai's suburbs after fleeing from Bihar. Following his arrest on August 19, Bihar STF and Bhojpur Police raided Belaur yet again and arrested his close aide Suresh Singh alias Suresh Rai, and another accomplice Sumit Chowdhury. 'A country-made pistol was recovered from Singh,' one officer said.
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Students fed midday meal licked by dog, Chhattisgarh High Court orders state to pay damages
The Chhattisgarh High Court has ordered the state government to pay damages after some middle schoolers were given anti-rabies shots for having midday meals contaminated by a stray dog. The court had taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that 84 children were administered shots after having eaten food that a dog had licked in Chhattisgarh's Baloda Bazar district. In its order, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru ordered the state government to pay compensation of Rs 25,000 to the family of affected children, saying it was 'negligence on the part of the state'. '…we deem it proper that Rs 25,000 be paid by the State to each of the students of the concerned Middle School, who had consumed the said meal, within a period of one month from today,' the Bench said. In their statement to the court, the students said that a dog had licked the food being prepared by a Self-Help Group under the government Mid-Day Meal Scheme. They also alleged that they had alerted their teachers, who had in turn warned the SHG but the advice went unheeded. The court had asked the state government to file an inquiry report on the incident. On its part, the state government, which contested the compensation claim, had informed the court that the SHG had been dismissed from service, as had some of the school staff – including the school principal, headmaster, and some teachers. It also told the court it had taken several measures for hygiene and quality assessment in the aftermath of the incident.
