The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Egmore Chennai has granted bail to 32 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers, who were arrested for protesting in front of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s residence were released from prison on Tuesday (February 22).
The ABVP workers had protested in front of MK Stalin’s residence in Teynampet demanding justice for Lavanya, the young girl driven to suicide by her Christain school and were remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by Saidapet Magistrate Court.
Out of the 36 activists who participated in the protest, three have been released on account of being minors, while 33 others, including ABVP’s National General Secretary Nidhi Tripathi, Susheela, were sent to Puzhal Jail (women) and Chengalpattu Jail (men).
According to RC Paul Kangaraj, secretary of the BJP Legal Cell, who appeared for the arrested said, “The police initially registered a case under sections 143, 147, 153 (promoting enmity between two groups), 353 of IPC and 3 of the TNPPDL act against them. The police asked for a one day remand. But the magistrate gave them 14 days remand. After hearing the arrest of students, Union minister, top legal luminaries contacted us to help legally and in all possible ways.”
The court issued bail to 32 students on Monday with conditions including surety, and they must present themselves before the police as and when required.
The parents of the incarcerated workers of the ABVP thier role and said it should not deter from the government’s vindictive and intimidatory attitude and should participate in more protests in the future for the right cause.
Nidhi Tripathi, Muthuramalingam, Hari Krishna, Ashish Chouhan said, “We have been falsely charged with Section 353 IPC – assault on a public servant, which is a non-bailable offence. Our protest was totally peaceful and not even a scratch was made by any of us, as evident in the videos. The DMK government is acting upon a vendetta and targeting students. They have filed false charges on us for participating in the peaceful protest, sending student activists to jail who are raising their voice calls for action. We are prepared to fight the DMK government. Nowhere in the country did students were remanded for 14 days for gathering in front of CM’s residence. Detained students and political cadre would be freed by evening, provided no violence takes place.”
They added, “The police had behaved very badly with the girls. They used abusive and filthy language against and said they would teach us which will make us to think twice before taking part in such protests.” ABVP national secretary Prena Pawar, in the statement, said, “The decision of the Hon’ble court against this authoritarian attitude of the government is going to be far-reaching. ABVP is committed to taking Lavanya’s fight for justice.”
“It was due to CM Stalin’s high ego, autocratic thinking, misused of power and minority appeasement policy, students were remanded to jail illegally. It should be the first and last,” said the cadre in the meeting.
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