Chennai: Madras high court has directed police to file their response to the bail petition of Vilathikulam DMK MLA GV Markandeyan, who was arrested for allegedly making threatening and defamatory remarks against chief minister C Joseph Vijay.The MLA was arrested by the Thoothukudi district crime branch police following a speech at a public meeting in Kovilpatti organised to thank voters, where he remarked that the CM’s bones will be broken if he orders closure of assembly doors so that the opposition MLAs will not boycott his address.On Thursday, a Thoothukudi court dismissed his bail application. Following this, Markandeyan moved Madras high court seeking to set aside the order remanding him to judicial custody and to grant him bail and single judge G K Ilanthiraiyan took up the petition for urgent hearing.Senior advocate P Wilson, appearing for the MLA, submitted that Markandeyan had been arrested without being issued a notice for enquiry, in violation of Supreme Court’s guidelines. He argued that the remand order should therefore be quashed and bail granted.Public prosecutor John Sathyan, appearing for the police, sought time to file a counter-affidavit. Recording the submission, the judge directed police to file their response to the bail petition and adjourned the hearing to July 27.
