The Madras High Court on Friday granted bail to DMK MLA E. Karunanithi’s son Anto Mathivanan and daughter-in-law Marlena Anne in a case booked against the couple for having allegedly tortured their domestic help belonging to a scheduled caste community.
Justice M. Nirmal Kumar granted the relief on condition that the petitioners must appear before the investigating officer every day for a period of two weeks. The order was passed after the prosecution submitted the details of investigation conducted so far.
The police also told the court that the victim’s educational certificates had been recovered from the accused and that she had already filed a petition before the court concerned for return of those certificates to her in order to pursue higher education.
The court was informed that the couple had engaged the domestic help through a manpower agency for a monthly salary of ₹16,000. While the victim alleged torture at the hands of the couple, the latter denied the charge and claimed to have treater her well.
The police had booked the couple under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Thereafter, an officer in the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police had undertaken the investigation.
