HC grants conditional bail to Kanal Kannan in Periyar statue row

CHENNAI: Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan of Madras HC granted conditional bail to stunt choreographer and Hindu Munnani functionary Kanal Kannan, who was booked by city police for making a threat to demolish Periyar statue in Srirangam, Tiruchy.

The judge passed the orders on allowing the criminal original petition filed by Kanal Kannan. The petitioner sought to release him on bail.

Recording the submissions of Kannan, Justice Ilanthiraiyan granted the bail with conditions that the accused should appear before the investigation officer in the case twice a day for four weeks. The court also directed Kannan to file an affidavit before the city magistrate court in Egmore stating that he will not render any such kind of provocative speeches in the future.

The judge further noted that it has turned out to be a fashion of giving such speeches on YouTube channels. “The accused is affiliated with a political outfit. What is the necessity to speak about people who have a different ideology?” the judge observed.

While addressing a Hindu Munnani’s public meeting at Maduravoyal on August 1, Kanal Kannan said that a Periyar statue that has words in a way hurting the sentiments of Hindus just before the Srirangam Ranganathar temple should be demolished.

On August 15, the Greater Chennai City Police arrested Kannan based on the complaint given by Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and booked him for his provocative speech under several sections of IPC. In his affidavit, Kannan said that he had not spoken anything against the law of this country. He also contended the police should have arrested people who erected the Periyar statue with words hurting Hindus and their religious practices.