DMK’s expelled youth wing office-bearer seeks anticipatory bail in sexual harassment case

Madras High Court. File
| Photo Credit: K. Pichumani

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) expelled youth wing office-bearer Deivachayal, alias R. Deivasayal, 37, and his wife D. Kanimozhi, 35, have moved the Madras High Court, seeking anticipatory bail in a sexual harassment case registered against them based on a complaint lodged by a 20-year-old college student.

The couple’s advance bail plea has been listed for hearing before Justice N. Senthilkumar on Wednesday (May 21, 2025). The complainant said she was a married woman facing divorce proceedings against her first husband, and was simultaneously pursuing a graduate course at a college in Arakkonam.

She accused the first petitioner of having stalked her and forcing her to marry him, despite having knowledge about her pending divorce proceedings. She claimed that the petitioner married her by threatening and coercing her on January 31, 2025, and that he promised to take care of the divorce case using his political clout.

The complainant said she subsequently got to know that the first petitioner was already married and that his first wife was an accomplice to his criminal activities. The complainant also accused the petitioner of having subjected her to physical torture and being in the habit of exploiting women in vulnerable postions.

Acting on the basis of her complaint, the Arakkonam All Women Police had booked both the petitioners under Sections 296(b) (uttering obscene words in a public place), 75(2) (demanding sexual favours), 82(2) (polygamy), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

However, in their petition before the High Court, the couple denied all charges levelled against them and said the complaint had been lodged at the instance of the first petitioner’s political rivals. They also said there was an enormous delay of over three months in lodging the complaint.

Though the complainant had claimed to have married the first petitioner on January 31, 2025, the First Information Report (FIR) had been registered only on May 10, 2025, they pointed out and agreed to abide by any condition imposed by the court for the grant of anticipatory bail.