The Madras High Court has granted anticipatory bail to former AIADMK minister M R Vijayabhaskar in a case filed against him for allegedly obstructing public works for personal gain. Justice G Jayachandran presided over the hearing of the anticipatory bail petition filed by the former minister.

During the hearing, the Additional Public Prosecutor filed a counter opposing the grant of anticipatory bail, citing that 23 cases were registered against the petitioner and most of them are pending. However, the counsel for the former minister argued that the case was fabricated to politically victimise his client.

Despite the opposition, the judge inclined to grant anticipatory bail and imposed a condition on the former minister to execute a bond of Rs. 1 lakh with two sureties.

The case stemmed from a complaint lodged by Thanthoni Panchayat Union Secretary R Vijayakumar against the former minister and four others. Vijayakumar alleged that they threatened him to halt bridge laying works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. It was claimed that Sekar, the husband of the Panchayat Council Chairman and brother of the former minister, utilized his influence to intimidate workers and disrupt the construction process using heavy machinery like JCB.

Based on Vijayakumar’s complaint, Karur police registered a case against M R Vijayabhaskar, Sekar, and three others under sections 147 (rioting), 341 (wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).