High Court rejects pre-arrest bail to expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala

The Madras High Court bench here on Wednesday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa and her three family members in a sexual harassment case, holding that the nature of charges against them was “severe” and their custodial interrogation was required.

Justice V M Velumani rejected the petitions filed by Puspha, her husband R Lingeswara Thilagam, son Pradeep Raja and her mother R Gowri, who apprehended arrest in the case filed by the police in Tuticorin District on a complaint by the MP’s two women domestic aides.

Since the nature and gravity of charges “are high and severe”, there was a possibility of them absconding and tampering with the witness if granted bail, the Judge, who had on August 29 reserved orders on the bail petitions, said.

The custodial interrogation of the petitioners was necessary in order to find out the truth, the judge said.

The four are facing charges under various IPC sections and also POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act for allegedly sexually harassing the domestic women aides.

The defacto complainants’ apprehension that with their character, behavior, means and position and status,the accused may tamper with the witness was with reason, the judge said adding there was a possibility of them influencing the complainants.

Rejecting the contention of the counsel for the petitioners, the court also said the case had been registered under POCSO Act as per law.

The judge said the petitioners had submitted forged documents while filing the petitions in the court and that made a separate offence.

“They have used forged documents before the court. Forgery has been done outside the court,” she said and directed the registrar (Judicial) to give a complaint regarding the same to local police which should investigate and take action according to law.

During the previous hearing, the Judge had asked Sasikala to explain as to how she had signed the ‘vakalatnama’ (power of attorney) by remaining in a foreign country, a doubt raised earlier by the state Advocate General.

Pushpa had then said the signature in the vakalatnama was her own and that her husband came and collected her signature and gave it to her advocate.

On August 26, the Supreme Court had granted protection from arrest to Sasikala for six weeks in the case and said the high court would expeditiously decide her anticipatory bail application, uninfluenced by its decision.

The MP was expelled from AIADMK after an alleged altercation with DMK MP Tiruchi Siva at the Delhi airport.

Since then she has alleged that she was being threatened into resigning from her post.