Bail plea of ex-panchayat chief held for aiding gutka production rejected

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court refused bail to Thalapathy Murugesan, former president of the Kannammapalayam panchayat union in Coimbatore district, who was arrested on charges of abetting manufacture of gutka at a local factory. Justice R M T Teekaaraman dismissed the bail application on Monday.

The judge said he had perused the confessional statement given by the second accused, who is the manager of the factory, dated May 6 last. From the records, it is seen that at the time of arrest, the manager had given the confessional statement and thereafter, to unearth the further involvement of the other persons and also to ascertain the modus operandi, the local police had sought his custody, which was granted for six days from May 4 last.

It appears that on May 6, he gave the confessional statement based upon which, the police have come to a conclusion that Murugesan had abetted and aided the said activities of the absconding first accused. He had, thereby, committed criminal conspiracy and other offences under the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, the judge said.

After going through the records, the judge said that the police had to conduct an investigation with regard to the place from where the raw material for the manufacture of gutka was purchased and the places of distribution of the final product as also the financial deals that had been carried between the first accused and the petitioner.

“Taking into account the nature and gravity of the offence, I am not inclined to grant bail at present and hence the petition is dismissed for the present,” the judge concluded.