The Madras High Court on 30 August 2024 granted anticipatory bail to former Idol Wing IG Ponn Manickavel in a case that CBI had filed against him.
The former IPS officer is accused of protecting idol smuggler Subash Kapoor and implicating a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Kader Batcha, who was arrested in an idol theft case. Based on Batcha’s representations, the CBI filed a new FIR on 8 August 2024, naming Pon Manickavel as an accused.
According to the FIR, Batcha had sought HC intervention in 2019 to direct the registration of a case against Manickavel. On 22 July 2022, the court ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations made in Batcha’s representations and to proceed if any criminal activity was found.
The FIR alleges that the preliminary inquiry revealed that Manickavel was involved in offences such as falsely implicating Batcha, illegal arrest, and fabricating documents with false statements. Manickavel has denied the allegations, claiming that the accusations against him are a coordinated attempt to discredit him and asserting that they will not succeed.
According to Manickavel, CBI officers ‘illegally’ entered his house on 10 August 2024 and seized a few items. In his petition, Manickavel stated that international idol smugglers were targeting him. After hearing submissions from both sides, the court granted anticipatory bail to Manickavel, imposing a few conditions.
Bail Postponed Earlier
On 28 August 2024, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court postponed his anticipatory bail petition. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy was presiding over the case.
Manickavel’s lawyer argued that the CBI lacked the authority to pursue the complaint since the court had explicitly directed the investigation to be led by an officer no lower than the rank of DIG appointed by the CBI director. The lawyer contended that the FIR did not reference any report from the designated officer. Also, the FIR was registered by a superintendent of police, with an additional superintendent of police assigned to the investigation. The lawyer also claimed that the trial court must review the officer’s report to decide whether an FIR should be registered. Consequently, Manickavel’s legal team argued that the search and seizure operations at his residence were unlawful and malicious.
Ponn Manickavel’s Path Of Integrity: An Insider’s Perspective
What’s the latest case involving former IGP Manickavel? Several negative narratives have been against him since the CBI started the probe. His supporters, however, question whether there’s a witch hunt against him. The CBI appears determined to arrest Manickavel based on Batcha’s accusations.
R. Varadharajan, a retired police officer and practising advocate, sheds light on the matter. Speaking to a YouTube channel, he references a Supreme Court ruling from the Lalit Kumar case and says that any complaint should initiate an FIR, followed by an investigation. If the offence is substantiated, the case should proceed; otherwise, the FIR should be dismissed. In this context, the CBI is pursuing Kader Batcha’s complaint as per a Madras High Court directive. Therefore, the probe is not unusual; it follows a standard procedure.
Varadharajan describes Ponn Manickavel as a straightforward and stringent officer known for his strict adherence to duty. Although this earned him a negative reputation within the department, the public held him in high regard. Varadharajan reminisces about the MGR-era system, which required officers to conduct grievance camps. While this system faded after MGR’s death, Manickavel was the only officer who continued this practice until retirement.
Subscribe to our Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram channels and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.