Arrested on May 23 and granted interim bail till May 31, he surrendered on Monday.

A case was filed against him under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after his speech on February 15 at a party office against judges and Dalits was considered insulting and Athi Tamilar Makkal Katchi leader Kalyanasundaram lodged a police complaint.

However, speaking to reporters on February 15, Bharathi said his speech was twisted in the social media and his arrest is to "satisfy someone".

He had then said that he had lodged a complaint against Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam for corruption.