Madras HC rejects bail to Mayiladuthurai BJP President for allegedly extorting money from mutt

Madras High Court rejected the bail application of BJP’s Mayiladuthurai district President in a case against him and six others for allegedly attempting to extort money from Dharmapuram Adheenam Sri Masilamani Swamy.

The prosecution case is that BJP district President K. Agoram and co-accused tried to blackmail Masilamani Swamy, stating that they have obscene videos and audio clips from the Mutt.

The BJP leader was arrested from Mumbai by a special team of Tamil Nadu police and has been in judicial custody since March 15, 2024.

Single bench judge of the Madras High Court, Justice T. V. Thamilselvi dismissed the bail petition of K. Agoram in the case after the prosecution informed that he was accused in more than 40 cases and that a history sheet was opened against him.

The prosecution also informed the court that some of the co-accused are still absconding and that granting bail to the accused would lead to tampering of evidence.

Agoram was arrested on the basis of an FIR registered by Mayiladuthurai police on February 25, 2024. The FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by Viruthagiri, brother of Masilamani Swamy with Mayliduthurai district Superintendent of Police.

Viruthagiri in his complaint, said that a person named Vinoth of Aduthurai and Senthil who were serving in the Mutt jointly, began to threaten him stating that they had obscene audio and video clips involving the Mutt’s head.

The complainant said that the duo had threatened him and the Mutt that they would make this video public through television channels and social media platforms if the Mutt did not pay the money they demanded.

In the complaint, Viruthugari alleged that the threat was issued at the instance of Agoram, advocate Jayachandran of Seiyur and educationist Kodiyarasu.

Mayiladuthurai police lodged the FIR under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 389 (putting a person in fear in order to extort), 506 part II (criminal intimidation) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.