The Madras High Court on Thursday quashed a criminal case filed against former AIADMK Minister D. Jayakumar, following his expression of regret for the actions of his party members, who had raised objectionable slogans against the State government, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and the police.The case stemmed from an incident on March 16, 2022, when hundreds of AIADMK party members gathered outside the Tiruchi Cantonment police station. Jayakumar was at the station to comply with a bail condition in a separate case. During the gathering, the party members allegedly raised slogans criticizing the State government and its leadership, which led to the filing of the First Information Report (FIR) against Jayakumar.
Justice G. Jayachandran of the Madras High Court quashed the FIR after Jayakumar submitted an affidavit expressing regret for the incident. The former minister claimed that the party members had gathered at the police station independently and that he was not responsible for the large gathering. He also stated that neither he nor his party members intended to tarnish the image of the State police.
However, Government Advocate K.M.D. Muhilan pointed out that the slogans raised by the party members were not only against the police but also targeted the State government and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, labeling him as anti-national. Muhilan noted that Jayakumar’s expression of regret in the affidavit only addressed the actions against the police and not the other allegations.
In response, Jayakumar’s counsel clarified that the regret expressed was intended for the entire incident, not just the actions against the police. Taking this clarification into account, the judge recorded the submission and decided to quash the FIR.
This ruling brings an end to the legal proceedings against Jayakumar related to the March 2022 incident, offering relief to the former minister and the AIADMK party.