Madras HC revokes conviction of ex-AIADMK minister Balakrishna Reddy in 1998 rioting case

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday set aside the conviction and sentence of three years imprisonment to former Tamil Nadu minister P Balakrishna Reddy. In January 2019, a special court had sentenced Reddy to three years in jail for damaging public property during a 1998 protest against illicit liquor at Bagalur in Krishnagiri district. At that time, Reddy was with the BJP. He later joined the AIADMK.

While overturning Reddy's conviction, Justice G Jayachandran on Wednesday observed that as the prosecution failed to ascertain the persons involved in the unlawful gathering and found several lacunae in the investigation of the prosecution, the benefit of doubt will be given to the accused. He was hearing a petition moved by Reddy challenging his conviction,

In 1998, more than 150 residents had gathered as part of the protest organised by Balakrishna Reddy in front of the Bagalur police station. While agitating against the alleged police inaction in preventing the sale of illicit arrack, some of the protestors resorted to violence and rioting. They damaged government buses with stones and set fire to police vehicles. The mob also pelted stones and injured police personnel.

In 2019, a special court in Chennai convicted Reddy and 15 others under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act. He was the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development then.

The court sentenced Reddy to three years of imprisonment and he submitted his resignation as minister and it was accepted.

The aggrieved former minister then moved the High Court challenging his imprisonment.

Senior counsel R John Sathyan representing Reddy submitted that his client being a responsible person from a prominent political party of the state had organised the demonstration as more than 50 persons in Shoolagiri who had consumed hooch had lost their lives in 1998.

When the former minister was negotiating with the police regarding his demands, some anti-social elements had pelted stones at the police, the counsel stated.

The advocate went on to argue that as the riot was not triggered by his client, he could not do anything to stop it and also, some vehicles including a police jeep and government buses were set ablaze by unknown persons. Reddy had nothing to do with the violence, his only motive was to protest against the sale of illicit arrack, the counsel added.