Madras HC reserves final orders to plea of former minister Balakrishna Reddy challenging imprisonment

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court reserved the final orders to the plea of former minister Balakrishna Reddy of AIADMK challenging his imprisonment for instigating riot and violence while protesting against illicit liquor sales.

Justice G Jayachandran heard the plea of Balakrishna Reddy challenging his conviction.

Senior counsel R John Sathyan representing the former minister submitted that in 1998 the protest was organised to agitate against the illicit arrack brewers at Bagalur, Hosur.

Since his client being a responsible person from a prominent political party of the State he organised the demonstration to agitate against the illicit arrack as more than 50 persons died in a neighbouring village Shoolagiri, the same year.

When the former minister was negotiating with the police regarding his demands some anti social elements pelted stone on the police, said the counsel.

Since the riot was not triggered by his client, he couldn't do anything to stop it and some vehicles including police jeep and government buses were set ablaze by some unknown persons, said the counsel.

His client has nothing to do with violence, his only motive was to protest against the illicit arrack sales, submitted the counsel.

However, without any evidence against his client the prosecution accused him for unlawful gathering with arms and booked him under section 147, 148 and 149 of IPC, said the counsel.

The police submitted that the former minister and other accused gathered at the scene of crime with deadly weapons. Balakrishna Reddy instigated the violence and some of his men toppled the vehicles, poured kerosene and set it ablaze.

Since the prosecution failed to place evidence to establish the offence including unlawful gathering with arms and the former minister instigated the violence and set the vehicles ablaze, the judge disbelieved the version of the prosecution.

After the submission the judge reserved the final orders without mention any date.

In 1998, more than 150 local residents gathered in front of the Bagalur police station and protested against the alleged police inaction in preventing illicit arrack sales.

However, the protest turned into riot and violence as some group damaged public transport buses and set fire to police vehicles including a jeep.

The mob also pelted stone against the police personnel as a result they were injured.

In 2019, the special court, Chennai convicted the then youth welfare and sports development minister Balakrishna Reddy and 15 others under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act.

The special court sentenced Balakrishna Reddy to three years of imprisonment as a result he lost his ministership.