In 2nd case, Madras High Court grants bail to 8 Kathiramangalam protesters

Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras High court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to eight persons of Kathiramangalam village in Thanjavur district in the second case related to protests against the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) hydrocarbons excavation project there. This case relates to alleged attack on two policemen by some Kathiramangalam villagers during the recent protests.

Shri Justice Basheer Ahmed imposed a condition on one of the protesters, Prof Jayaraman to appear before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Madurai and sign the documents, while seven other persons should appear before the CJM at Tiruchy.

The police had arrested in all ten persons for participating in the protests organised against the ONGC project on June 30 and had remanded them to judicial custody.

Eight persons had filed bail applications in the court stating it was part of the fundamental rights of the farmers to participate in the protest and police arresting only ten persons in this case was not acceptable.

During the previous hearing, the counsel appearing for the ONGC claimed that the project was proposed to extract crude oil only from 2,800 meters depth and it would in no way affect the cultivable lands. But the protesters were spreading false propaganda, said the counsel, adding, a ban against Jayaraman entering Kathiramamgalam was in force.

The counsel, who appeared for the police argued that two police personnel were attacked during the protest in the village. The police had granted permission for organising only peaceful protests, but not to indulge in violence, he said. The court, after recording all the augments, granted bail to all the applicants on Wednesday.