Chennai court sentences senior BJP leader H Raja to one-year jail for comments on Periyar, Kanimozhi

CHENNAI: A special court in Chennai sentenced BJP senior leader H Raja for one year imprisonment in two different cases.

On Monday, the special court for hearing the cases related MPs/MLAs delivered the judgment by imprisoning H Raja and also granted liberty to move an appeal against the judgment.

The judge held H Raja guilty in both the cases and sentenced 6 months imprisonment in each cases.

The court also suspended the imprisonment allowing Raja to move the appeal.

In 2018, H Raja published derogatory comment against the former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his daughter Kanimozhi in his X handle. Followed by the post, several complaints lodged against H Raja in Erode Town police station. Based on the complaints Raja booked under sections 153, 504 and 509 of IPC

Similarly, H Raja made a post in his X handle against Thanthai Periyar that his statue would be demolished like Vladimir Lenin’s statue was demolished in Tripura.

Cases were filed against H Raja on the grounds of the propensity to instigate violence and clashes among groups resulting in disturbance to public order.

He moved a petition in the high court seeking to quash all the cases registered against him.

On August 29, 2023, the high court refused to quash the cases and transferred the cases to the special court for trial.

Pursuant to the high court order, the special court heard the cases and pronounced judgment sentencing H Raja, the court also imposed Rs. 5 thousand as fine in both the cases.