{
  "id": 75156,
  "title": "Madras High Court grants bail to Vilathikulam DMK MLA Markandayan for speech against Tamil Nadu CM Vijay",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/madras-high-court-grants-bail-to-vilathikulam-dmk-mla-markandayan-for",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-03T07:39:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/madras-high-court-grants-bail-to-vilathikulam-dmk-mla-markandayan-for-speech-against-tn-cm-vijay/article71299944.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On August 3, 2026, the Madras High Court granted bail to Vilathikulam DMK MLA G.V. Markandayan following a speech in which he allegedly threatened Chief Minister Vijay. Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan granted the bail with conditions, including filing an affidavit with the jurisdictional magistrate in Thoothukudi, stating that he will not make such threats against the Chief Minister. The MLA must also appear before an investigating officer twice daily, except on days when the Legislative Assembly's Budget session is in session. The High Court's decision came after senior counsel P. Wilson argued that the MLA's speech was political in nature and did not justify arrest or incarceration. The State Public Prosecutor, R. John Sathyan, stated that the MLA's bail plea could be considered if he expressed remorse and filed an affidavit of undertaking to the satisfaction of the judicial magistrate. The High Court reserved orders on a previous petition filed by Markandayan on July 28, 2026, which challenged his July 20, 2026, judicial remand order. The FIR was registered under Sections 351(3), 352, and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after a complaint was filed by S. Balasubramanian on July 19, 2026, alleging that Markandayan threatened that his party legislators would \"break the bones of the Chief Minister inside the Legislative Assembly.\"",
  "summary": "Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan directs him to file an affidavit before Thoothukudi judicial magistrate undertaking that he shall not make such speeches in the future",
  "key_points": [
    "Madras High Court grants bail to DMK MLA Markandayan on August 3, 2026",
    "Court conditions include affidavit to magistrate and daily appearances",
    "Markandayan's speech threatened Tamil Nadu CM Vijay"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Zurich Takaful can void policy obtained through fraud, High Court rules",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/zurich-takaful-can-void-policy-obtained-through-fraud-high-court-rules",
        "published": "2026-08-03T06:48:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Madras High Court refuses to quash FIR against former DMK MLA L. Idhayavarman",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/madras-high-court-refuses-to-quash-fir-against-former-dmk-mla-l",
        "published": "2026-08-03T09:44:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}