The counsel for the petitioner had requested that his client needed protection as he had been portrayed negatively in the media and that the Court should direct the police not to arrest him. Justice Arali Nagaraj, however declined to do so and said that the petitioner could seek anticipatory bail.
The Court gave the state government time till April 6 to file objections. Meanwhile, the translated version of the complaint by K Lenin Karuppannan filed with the Chennai police. The case has now been transferred to the Bidadi police.
The Court chided the police for its slow investigations pointing out that most of the investigative work was being done by phone with the Chennai counterparts. The Court rebuked and dismissed the Government’s counsel’s argument that the case was taking time as statements had to be recorded (mahajar).
The Court also found nothing wrong in the request of the Bidadi police for people to come forward and register their complaints, if any. “If the petitioner can ask the public for moral support, what is wrong in the police asking for help?” the bench asked.
