Madras HC Grants Conditional Bail to AIADMK Councillor Whose Illegal Hoarding Killed Chennai Techie

Chennai: The Madras High Court granted conditional bail to AIADMK Councillor C Jeyagopal, who is accused for installing an illegal hoarding that caused the death of a 23-year-old software engineer R Subhashree in a road accident.

The court has also directed Jeyagopal and his brother-in-law (another accused in the case) to pay Rs.25,000 each to a cancer hospital and the Stanley government hospital for the treatment of poor people.

Jeyagopal has also been directed to stay in Madurai district to ensure that eyewitnesses are not influencing in the ongoing case.

In the bail plea, the AIADMK leader’s counsel stated that he has been behind bars for 45 days and that a chargesheet is not yet registered against him, which, Chennai police said, is still under scrutiny.

The accused had filed a bail plea, and while hearing was underway, he withdrew the case in October and moved a second bail plea today.

In complaint filed by assistant engineer of the Chennai corporation, Jeyagopal was booked under Section 4 of The Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959, for installing the hoarding without permission. The maximum punishment under this is one year in jail.

He was on the run for over 15 days since the death of the techie as, escaping two cases filed against him, and was was arrested from a hideout in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district.

Subhashree, who was returning home after taking an exam around 2 pm on September 12, fell off her two-wheeler after a temporary banner erected by Jeyagopal for his son’s wedding tumbled down on her. A water tanker driving behind ran her over, killing her on the spot.