Former Union minister M.K.Alagiri granted interim bail in land grabbing case

Hours after Madurai district police registered a case against him on charges of having grabbed a piece of land owned by Hindu religious and charitable endowment department, Alagiri moved the court, which will remain closed for three days from Friday, seeking advance bail.

In the petition, he said he is the founder-president of M.K.Educational Trust floated with an objective to “provide best education for the poor” and built Dhaya Engineering College under it for which affiliation was obtained after a “hard struggle” of three years.

In the meantime, he claimed he bought 44 cents of land outside the college from Sampath. He gave him cheque towards the purchase and also registered the land.

The petitioner further claimed that the original owner of the land was Veluchamy who exchanged it with Adhilakshmi from whom Sampath purchased it. There are cases pending before Madurai and Tirumangalam courts in connection with the land in question.

Alagiri said registration of a case against him was politically motivated. He said the case has been foisted with a motive to take revenge on him.

He feigned ignorance about the sections under which the case has been filed by the police and prayed for anticipatory bail.

His counsel appealed to Justice K.Kalyanasundaram to take up the petition for hearing considering its urgency following which he asked him to seek permission from administrative judge Justice Jaichandren.

On the latter’s nod, he heard the case and granted Alagiri interim anticipatory bail until September 3.