Kallakurichi riots: HC grants bail to youth held for assaulting cops

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court granted conditional bail to a youth who was booked on charges of assaulting the cops and setting fire to the vehicles during the violence that occurred on the premises of a private school in Kaniyamoor, Kallakurichi district on July 17, subsequent to the death of a Class 12 girl.

Justice AD Jagadish Chandira passed the orders on disposing of a bail application filed by one Akash, a resident of a nearby village to Kaniyamoor.

The judge granted the relief with a condition that the latter should stay in Kalpakkam and appear before the Kalpakkam police twice a day for four weeks. After four weeks, the accused should appear before the Chinnasalem police every morning until further orders.

The High Court also directed the accused to deposit Rs 50,000 before the concerned Magistrate and execute a bond for Rs 10,000.

The petitioner’s counsel R Sankarasubbu submitted that Akash is an innocent person and since he happens to be a native of the neighboring village, police falsely implicated him in the case.

“The petitioner has completed the Bachelor of Science in Periyar University and he is now in the process of looking out for a job and due to this case, the future of the petitioner is now at peril,” the advocate argued.

CE Pratap, Government Advocate for police submitted that the petitioner along with other accused had assaulted the policemen and caused damage to the respondent's vehicles by setting fire to them.