Rebel AIADMK MLAs P Vetrivel and Thanga Tamil Selvan get advance bail, allege foul play

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday granted advance bail to rebel AIADMK MLAs P Vetrivel and Thanga Tamil Selvan, who feared arrest in connection with a case registered against them for allegedly preventing police from discharging their duties at the State Secretariat on March 1.Justice A D Jagadish Chandra granted the relief, subject to the condition that they appear daily before the Tallakulam Police in Madurai for two weeks.

According to petitioners, after the split in the AIADMK, they joined the faction headed by V K Sasikala and T T V Dhinakaran, because of which they were disqualified from the post of MLAs. The ruling faction was indulging in filing false criminal cases against the active members of the other faction to take revenge against them, they said.

They said there was a large scale irregularity in awarding tenders for executing major road projects in the State. They were awarded to close relatives of politicians in the ruling faction. In this connection, they went to the Secretariat on March 1 to meet officials of the department concerned. While Thanga Tamil Selvan went inside the Secretariat, Vetrivel was surrounded by the media at the main gate. While he attempted to address the media with regard to their visit, two inspectors posted at the  gate rushed towards him, abused him in filthy language and manhandled him. Thanga Tamil Selvan rushed back and tried to pacify the police personnel. However, a case was registered on the charge that they prevented police from discharging their duties, the petitioners said.