The Coimbatore City Police on Saturday (November 9, 2024) questioned Omkar Balaji, president of the youth wing of Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK), for his controversial remarks on Nakkheeran Gopal, editor of Tamil magazine Nakkheeran.
The police had registered a case against Mr. Balaji, son of IMK founder Arjun Sampath, for stating in a protest held in Coimbatore on October 27 that the tongue of Mr. Gopal would be chopped off. The IMK had staged the protest to condemn an article published by the Tamil magazine on Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore. While addressing the protestors, he accused Mr. Gopal of spreading rumours about Isha Yoga Center and operating under the instructions of the DMK.
Mr. Balaji, according to the police, went on to say Mr. Gopal would be arrested when the DMK is out of power and his tongue would be cut off.
A DMK member Abdul Jaleel lodged a complaint against Mr. Balaji at the Race Course police station. Mr. Balaji was booked for offences under sections 353 (1) (b) and 351 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The police brought him to the Race Course station for questioning late on Saturday (November 9, 2024), following which IMK members condemned the action and planned for a protest on Sunday (November 10, 2024) morning. The City Police Commissioner, V. Balakrishnan, said Mr. Balaji was let off after questioning on Sunday morning (November 10, 2024).
Anticipating arrest, Mr. Balaji had moved the Madras High Court for an anticipatory bail on November 4. The court is scheduled to hear the plea on November 13.
Published - November 10, 2024 04:08 pm IST
