Mugilan acquitted of sedition charges
Karur: Environmental activist R S Mugilan, known for his involvement in protests against the Sterlite plant and Kudankulam nuclear power project, was acquitted of sedition charges on Friday.
The case stemmed from allegations that he made statements against the sovereignty of India, incited conflict between communities, and disturbed public peace during a public meeting held at Seethapatti Colony, Aravakurichi, in Karur district in April 2017. The case was filed in December that year, and Mugilan was arrested by Aravakurichi police under sections 124(A), 153(A)(1) and 505(1)(b) of IPC before he received bail from the Karur court in Sept 2018.
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fter seven years of investigation and examination of 11 witnesses, a chief judicial magistrate court in Karur acquitted the activist of the charges on Friday. "False charges were filed based on a speech in which I spoke about state rights, illegal sand mining in the Cauvery, and the need for harmony across caste and religious lines. From the outset, the case was baseless as there was nothing seditious in my address.
Now, justice has finally been delivered," Mugilan told TOI.
Mugilan was also arrested in 2019 for allegedly raping a 32-year-old woman in Karur, following a mysterious disappearance that lasted a few months. In November that year, he was granted bail by the Madurai bench of Madras high court.
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