Coimbatore: SC/ST Act invoked against BJP district president

COIMBATORE: The city police invoked a provision of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, against BJP’s Coimbatore district president Balaji Uthamaramasamy on Thursday for derogatory remarks against social reformer Periyar E V Ramasamy and DMK MP A Raja during a protest organised by Hindu Munnani in Coimbatore city a few days ago.
Balaji was booked under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(1)(b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility) of the Indian Penal Code by the Peelamedu police on Wednesday. He was remanded in judicial custody. Meanwhile, the city police invoked a provision under Section 3, 1 (r) (intentionally insults or intimidates with intent to humiliate a member of a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe in any place within public view) of SC/ST Act on Thursday and submitted the details to judicial magistrate.
When Uthamaramasamy’s counsel submitted a petition seeking conditional bail, the magistrate informed them that the case would be transferred to the principal district and sessions judge court, the special court for trial of cases registered under the SC/ST Act. The magistrate asked the counsel to seek bail before the sessions court.