HMK Youth wing leader Omkar Balaji arrested for derogatory remarks

CHENNAI: Hours after the Madras High Court refused to restrain Coimbatore city police from arresting Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) President K. Arjun Sampath's son and the youth wing leader A.S. Omkar Balaji for allegedly making derogatory remarks against a journalist of Tamil magazine Nakkeeran R Gopal, Omkar Balaji was arrested on Wednesday evening.

He was arrested in the city and later handed over to the Coimbatore police.

He was taken to Coimbatore where he had made the alleged remarks threatening to chop of the journo's tongue during a protest meeting to condemn those who had opposed Jaggi Vasudev's Sadhguru Isha Foundation on October 27.

Police booked cases against him acting on a complaint following which he moved the High Court with an anticipatory bail plea and sought interim relief from being arrested.

During hearing last evening, Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandra rejected his plea seeking interim protection against his arrest and adjourned his anticipatory bail plea by a week.

The Judge also asked the state government to produce the transcript of the objectionable speech made by Balaji before adjourning the hearing.