The Principal District Sessions Court in Tirunelveli on Friday granted bail to Tamil orator ‘Nellai’ Kannan, who was arrested on January 2 following his ‘inflammatory speech’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at a public meeting organised at Melapalayam on December 29 against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Principal District Judge A. Nazir Ahmed granted bail with the condition of executing two sureties for ₹10,000 and that he should appear before Melapalayam police in the morning and evening to sign in the records.
When he addressed a public meeting organised by Social Democratic Party of India against the CAA, Mr. Kannan reportedly delivered a “hate speech” against Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah inciting the Muslims to “harm them”.
The BJP filed a complaint with Deepak M. Damor, Commissioner of Police, Tirunelveli City, seeking registration of case against the orator. He was arrested on January 2 night and remanded in judicial custody.
After the Palayamkottai Central Prison authorities refused to lodge in the jail, Mr. Kannan was taken to Salem Central Jail.
Case adjourned
Meanwhile, hearing a petition filed by Mr. Kannan seeking to quash the FIR registered against him, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court ordered notice to police and adjourned case to January 20.
Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira ordered the notice and adjourned the case to January 20. In his petition, Mr. Kannan said he had used a colloquial term in his speech which was misinterpreted. He said that he had no intention to hurt anybody or any particular community or religion and sought to quash the FIR registered against him.
