Chennai, July 22:
The Madras High Court has dismissed petitions filed by former minister V. Senthilbalaji and his brother Ashok Kumar, who sought protection from alleged harassment in the name of searches and investigation.
In their petitions, they stated that they had already been granted conditional anticipatory bail in connection with a ācash-for-defectionā (horse-trading) case involving MLA Ilaiyaraja, and expressed willingness to comply with all court-imposed conditions. They also alleged that there were attempts to arrest them in other cases and requested that police be directed to issue proper notices before summoning them for inquiry.
The petitioners further argued that despite the court granting anticipatory bail and stating that custodial interrogation was not necessary in the case, authorities were continuing searches. They maintained that they were not obstructing any investigation and were ready to cooperate, but should not be harassed under the guise of inquiry.
During the hearing, the State opposed the plea, arguing that the petition sought a broad and premature order. After hearing both sides, Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan noted that although anticipatory bail had been granted in one case, the petitioners had not yet surrendered and fulfilled all conditions. The court also observed that the plea regarding possible future cases was premature.
Citing these reasons, the court refused to grant any protective direction and dismissed the petitions filed by Senthilbalaji and his brother.