The Madras High Court on Monday (August 3, 2026) granted bail to Vilathikulam DMK MLA G.V. Markandayan in a case registered against him for reportedly making a remark that his party legislators would “break the bones of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inside the Legislative Assembly” during a public event.
Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan granted the relief on the condition that the MLA must file an affidavit before the jurisdictional magistrate in Thoothukudi, undertaking that he shall not make such speeches against the Chief Minister in the future. Besides, he must appear before the investigating officer twice every day but for the days when he must attend the forthcoming Budget session of the Legislative Assembly.
The relief was granted after hearing senior counsel P. Wilson, who contended that the speech made by the bail petitioner was political in nature and that it did not warrant arrest or incarceration. State Public Prosecutor (SPP) R. John Sathyan said, the Budget session of the Assembly was to begin on August 5 and hence, the MLA’s bail plea could be considered if he expresses remorse.
The SPP insisted that the MLA must be ordered to file an affidavit of undertaking to the satisfaction of the judicial magistrate concerned. The MLA had approached the High Court seeking regular bail, after a sessions court in Thoothukudi refused to let him out on bail last week taking into consideration the gravity of the public speech made by the MLA.
Justice Ilanthiraiyan had on July 28, 2026, reserved orders on another petition filed by the MLA challenging his July 20, 2026, judicial remand order, along with a consequential relief to grant him bail. Meanwhile, he had moved the present regular bail petition after the sessions court had refused to grant him similar relief.
The Thoothukudi DCB had registered the First Information Report (FIR) against the MLA on the basis of a complaint filed by an individual named S. Balasubramanian on July 19, 2026. The complainant was aggrieved by a public speech delivered by the MLA during a meeting organised by the DMK near the Kovilpatti Krishnan temple on July 18, 2026.
He had accused the MLA of having threatened that his party legislators “would break the bones of the Chief Minister inside the Legislative Assembly.” The FIR was registered under Sections 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Published - August 03, 2026 11:24 am IST
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam / Tamil Nadu
Source: The Hindu - India News
