HC stays FIR against TTV actor Senthil

Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Tuesday stayed the FIR registered against actor R Senthil and AIADMK (Amma) faction’s T T V Dhinakaran by Trichy crime branch police based on a complaint lodged by AIADMK MP P Kumar of Trichy.

Justice S S Sundar gave this relief to them after he heard a petition filed by Senthil.

According to the petition, Kumar on August 31 lodged a complaint with the Trichy crime branch police alleging that Senthil used filthy language against him, besides threatening him, while giving an interview to a private television channel on August 31. Also, he verbally provoked the supporters of Dhinakaran against the MP at the instigation of Dhinakaran.

The police, in turn, registered a case under sections 294 (b), 153, 506 (i) and 109 of IPC against the actor and Dhinakaran.

The petitioner’s counsel said it is an admitted fact that the alleged incident took place in Chennai. Thus, the Trichy police had no jurisdiction to register the complaint. Besides, the complaint against the petitioner and others was given due to political motive. But the police, without even conducting a preliminary inquiry, registered the case against them, the counsel added.

Further, the petitioner is a known face in Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring states as he has acted in hundreds of films. The FIR is illegal, erroneous and contrary to the facts and circumstances. Hence, the FIR is liable to be quashed. Besides, in the present political scenario there are chances of the petitioner and Dhinakaran getting arrested. The court needed to restrain the police from arresting them, the counsel said.

Following this the court gave an interim stay on the FIR and ordered notice to the police and the complainant. TNN