Pa Ranjith Controversy: Madras HC Grants Bail To Director

The Madras High Court has granted bail to director Pa Ranjith in response to the anticipatory plea that he filed after he was booked by the Thirupannadal police for his comments on Raja Raja Chozhan.

According to reports, the court, which heard the case at 1.30 pm today, granted Ranjith bail on condition that he will not make controversial statements hereafter.

The case come up for hearing on June 14, but the State Government sought more time to submit its argument, so Justice Rajamaickam had adjourned the case for hearing today.

Meanwhile, yesterday, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court presided by Justice Bharatidasan directed the Thiruppanandal police to file a counter to the petition by Ranjith asking to quash the FIR against him. Ranjith’s counsel argued that there has been no law and order situation since his speech on June 5, cited right to freedom of speech and asked for the quashing of the FIR that demanded Ranjith’s arrest on grounds of promoting enmity.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the judge observed that freedom of speech came with certain limits, and asked Ranjith to provide evidence and state the motive behind his saying that Raja Raja Chozhan took away lands from Dalits. The judge also cited from a history book published by the Tamil Nadu Government that stated that cultivators were also the owners of lands during the Chola period.

The court further asked the Thiruppanandal police in Tirunelveli to file a response with documentary evidence as a counter to Ranjith’s petition.

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After his speech triggered controversy, a case was booked against him in response to a complaint by Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Bala, and the police also held 32 agitators belonging to different Hindu groups for staging demonstrations.

Politicians from the BJP, AIADMK and DMK opposed his comments; however, many also supported the director. More than 300 artistes including Lenin Bharathi, Leena Manimekalai and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan came out in his support saying Ranjith was being intimidated for merely expressing his point of view. They also started an online petition asking the Tamil Nadu Government to stop legal action against Ranjith.