Sessions court delays order in DMK MLA family's bail plea

CHENNAI: A sessions court in Chennai, on Friday reserved the final orders in the bail plea of DMK MLA Karunanidhi's son and daughter-in-law in the case booked for allegedly physically abusing an 18-year-old housemaid.

The petitioners Anto Madhivanan and her wife Marlena Ann moved to principal sessions court seeking bail.

The case was listed before the principal sessions judge S Alli.

Senior counsel Jhon Sathyan appeared for the petitioner and contended that the police arrested his clients in a hasty manner due to the influence of news media.

His petitioners treated the complainant as a member of their family and spent Rs.2 lakh for her education, said the counsel

Without applying mind the police booked the petitioners under SC/ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, the counsel added.

Advocate BB Mohan appeared for the complainant and contended that if any case booked under SC/ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, it should be probed by an officer of Deputy Superintendent of Police rank, whereas in the present case, an inspector rank officer is appointed to investigate the case.

Further, the advocate sought to book the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and subjugate them under police custody.

government advocate appeared for the police and submitted that the investigation is underway.

After the submissions, the judge posted the matter to February 6 for orders.

Recently, a video testimony of the girl from Ulundurpet, Kallakurichi, belonging to the Scheduled Castes(SC) went viral on social media as she narrated how she was tormented by the MLA’s daughter-in-law. The girl alleged that the MLA’s son Anto Madhivanan and daughter-in-law Marlena Ann assaulted her and abused her with casteist slurs.

Based on the information from the video testimony, police reached the victim girl for her statement and booked a case against the couple under various sections including SC/ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.