Trespassing into Collector’s house: MP, Balaji get bail

During the final phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 16, Karur Congress candidate and present MP Jothimani sought permission via online to campaign at Karur bus stand roundabout. But the Collector and Returning Officer T Anbalagan allotted the particular spot to AIADMK and so both Jothimani and Senthil Balaji met the then Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) K Saravanamurthy on April 14 and asked him to clarify on the issue. Since the ARO failed to provide any reply, the duo staged a sit in protest and the observers Prasant Kumar and Manoj Kumar pacified them and the Congress was given a chance to campaign at the requested spot. This, however, created a confusion between AIADMK and Congress and the AIADMK candidate M Thambidurai along with Minister MR Vijayabhaskar met the Returning officer and got the permission to campaign at the place which was sought by the Congress.

Learning this, both Jothimani and Senthil Balaji along with their supporters, went to the residence of the Collector and appealed to him. However, Collector Anbalagan, who claimed that the duo had threatened him after trespassing into his residence, lodged a complaint against the duo. The Thanthondrimalai police registered a case under various sections. Meanwhile, both Jothimani and Senthil Balaji approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court and got a conditional bail that directed them to sign at Thanthondrimalai twice a week. While the case was transferred to Karur Judicial Magistrate Court I and on Tuesday Jothimani and Senthil Balaji appeared before the court and got bail on the case.

After receiving the bail order, Senthil Balaji spoke to reporters and said that the Collector was biased and acting as a ruling party cadre. “The Collector threatened us to show the CCTV footage for his claim but he has not released the recording so far. He is under the influence of ruling party leaders,” Senthil Balaji added.