Release Udhayanidhi Stalin today, orders HC; govt says he will get station bail

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government informed the Madras High Court that they had merely detained senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin for questioning, and that he would be released soon. The detention came about due to an FIR filed against him for allegedly making remarks about Tamil film actor Trisha Krishnan at a Cauvery protest meeting in Thanjavur on Monday.

Tamil Nadu advocate general Vijay Narayan testified before the bench of Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan that the State had "no intention" of keeping Udhayanidhi in custody and that he was only detained for questioning purposes. He asserted that the State's sole aim was to safeguard women's interests.

Recording the government's response, Justice Ilanthiraiyan directed the police to release Udhayanidhi "today itself" after his questioning. The court also instructed the DMK leader to cooperate with the investigation and appear before the police whenever required. The urgent hearing was initiated after Udhayanidhi filed an anticipatory bail petition, seeking protection against arrest, due to fears that the police might take coercive action prior to the commencement of the state assembly's budget session.

Senior counsel Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, representing Udhayanidhi, sought an interim direction restraining the police from arresting him until the court examined the matter. The judge orally requested government counsel to issue appropriate instructions to the police in the meantime.

Justice Ilanthiraiyan also inquired about the specifics of the case, including whether an FIR had been registered, the allegations made against the Leader of the Opposition, and the penal provisions invoked. However, by the time Udhayanidhi's anticipatory bail plea reached the court for hearing at 2.15pm, he had already been picked up by the police from his residence and was being taken to Thanjavur.