Madurai: Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday granted conditional anticipatory bail to former DMK MLA Karuppasamy Pandian in a sexual harassment case.
Granting the bail, Justice CT Selvam directed Pandian to sign in the Coutralam Police Station for a week daily.
Police had registered the case on a complaint from N Tamilarasi, whose family members also belonged to DMK, that Pandian had sexually harassed her at his bungalow in Coutralam on August 28 last.
The Judge said section 506 (2) of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women`s Harassment Act will not apply to the charges against Pandian.
"The particular section could be invoked only if the person misbehaved with a woman in a public place. Here the incident is reported to have happened in a room. The complainant had alleged that the former MLA had tried to misbehave with her in a room. There was no proof that the girl had been threatened. Hence bail was being granted," the Judge said.
Police had filed cases against Pandian under IPC sec 294(b)(seduce), 354 (sexual harassment) among others on Sept 19 last following a complaint from Tamilarasi.
The woman alleged that Pandian misbehaved with her, sexually harassed her and attempted to seduce her into submission,and on being resisted, she was threatened.
Pandian denied the allegations and said they were politically motivated.
PTI
