On 27 October 2025, Justice K. Rajasekar of the Madras High Court has granted bail to retired police officer and YouTuber R. Varadharajan in what was thought to be in connection with a case filed against him for his online commentary following the Karur stampede tragedy. The court directed him to appear before the investigating officer daily for two weeks.
Varadharajan, aged 71, was arrested on 7 October 2025 by the Chennai South Cyber Crime Police after he allegedly posted defamatory content against Justice N. Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court. His bail plea had earlier been adjourned to Monday, (27 October 2025) extending his incarceration beyond 20 days.
Justice K Rajasekar of #MadrasHighCourt grants bail to retired police officer R. Varadharajan in a case booked against him for his YouTube videos pursuant to the Karur stampede tragedy. Directs him to appear before the investigating officer daily for two weeks @THChennai
— Mohamed Imranullah S (@imranhindu) October 27, 2025
What Court Order Said
Varadharajan, who leads the political outfit Nethaji Makkal Katchi and runs a YouTube channel, was arrested in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) originally registered on December 20, 2024. The case, investigated by the Cyber Crime police, invokes sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The prosecution alleged that videos uploaded by the petitioner in 2024 contained remarks that could “incite violence” and cause law and order problems. They argued that as a retired police officer and political leader, Varadharajan should behave responsibly and objected to his bail, stating the comments were made for political gain.
However, the defense counsel, LV Rohith, argued that no violence had erupted as a result of the comments, which were made the previous year. He contended that the arrest, coming nearly ten months after the FIR was filed, was motivated because Varadarajan had recently commented on a judgment delivered by a sitting judge of the Madras High Court.
In the order accessed by The Commune, Principal Sessions Judge S. Karthikeyan noted that the police had not arrested the petitioner immediately after registering the FIR in 2024. The court observed that “admittedly, no violence was erupted as claimed by the respondent police,” and deemed the arrest after a 10-month lapse as a significant factor in its decision to grant bail.
The court ordered Varadarajan’s release on executing a bond for Rs. 10,000 with two sureties for the like sum. The bail conditions mandate that he must appear before the investigating police daily at 10:00 AM and is prohibited from tampering with evidence or absconding. A breach of these conditions would allow the court to take appropriate action, including the registration of a fresh FIR under Section 269 of the BNS for absconding.
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