BJP Coimbatore district president, six others booked for unlawful assembly

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore city police registered a case against BJP district president Balaji Uthamaramasamy and six other members of the party for gathering in front of Coimbatore Central Prison unlawfully to welcome the 11 party members who were released from the jail on Friday evening. The 11 party men were arrested in connection with a public property damage case.
On September 21, BJP district president Balaji Uthamaramasamy was arrested by Peelamedu police for making derogatory remarks against the social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy and the Nilgiris MP A Raja during a protest organised by Hindu Munnani. The police arrested 11 BJP members in another case for not allowing the police personnel to discharge their duty and damaging some public properties to condemn the arrest of their party leader on September 21.
They were remanded in judicial custody. The next day, the police invoked a provision of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Balaji Uthamaramasamy.
On October 1, the principal district and sessions judge court granted bail to Uthamaramasamy. He came out of the central prison on October 2. However, the bail petitions of the 11 BJP members were rejected by the PDJ court. They moved to the Madras high court and obtained a conditional bail two days ago.
BJP district president Balaji Uthamaramasamy and hundreds of BJP functionaries and members gathered in front of Coimbatore Central Prison main gate around 5.30pm on Friday to welcome the 11 BJP members. They brought a band. Race Course police officials asked the BJP cadres not to gather unlawfully in front of the central prison and warned action against them. However, the BJP functionaries welcomed the 11 BJP members and took them to the party office on the VKK Menon Road and burst crackers in front of the party office.
The Race Course police registered a case against the BJP district president and six other BJP members under sections 143(unlawful assembly) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code.
The Kattoor police in Coimbatore city registered another case against BJP member Shesa Shastri for bursting crackers on the road and causing hindrance to the public.