Madras HC grants interim bail to activist Rangarajan Narasimhan
As conditions, he was told not to make any comments on Sriperumbudur Jeeyar or against women on social media
Srirangam priest Rangarajan (Thanthi TV)
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court granted interim bail to activist Rangarajan Narasimhan in two cases registered for publishing an allegedly distorted audio conversation with Sriperumbudur Embar Jeeyar and making derogatory remarks against a woman on social media.
When his bail plea came up for hearing on Tuesday, Justice V Lakshminarayanan granted interim bail but imposed conditions. The judge directed Rangarajan not to make any remarks against Sriperumbudur Jeeyar in this regard and not to indulge in similar alleged offenses in future.
The court also directed the petitioner to appear before the police station concerned daily for a period of one week and directed to execute a bail of Rs 10,000.
On December 16, the cybercrime wing of the Chennai city police arrested Rangarajan from his residence in Srirangam for publishing allegedly distorted audio of a conversation with Sriperumbudur Jeeyar. Rangarajan, a controversial activist who has filed several petitions alleging misappropriation of temples’ properties by influential people, this time claimed that the Jeeyar performed rituals for Brahamana Dhosam at the request of deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
The claim quickly spread, as Udhayanidhi is an avowed atheist and his party, the DMK, proclaims rationalism as one of its founding principles.
Based on the complaint of Jeeyar, the cybercrime wing registered a case and arrested Rangarajan, who was lodged in Puzhal central prison.
Similarly, in another case lodged by a woman alleging Rangarajan made derogatory remarks against her, the High Court granted the interim bail on the condition that he should not make any vituperative comments against women on social media platforms and directed him to appear before the police station concerned for one week.
The court also directed him to execute Rs 10,000 as bail bond.
On December 19, the woman complainant lodged a complaint in Triplicane police station alleging that Rangarajan made derogatory remarks on social media. Based on her complaint, the police booked a case against Rangarajan under Section 75 and 79 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 4 of the Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.