BJP leader H. Raja appeals to Madras High Court against conviction, six month imprisonment in two criminal cases

BJP leader H. Raja files criminal appeals challenging conviction and imprisonment, expected to be heard by Madras High Court.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader H. Raja has filed a couple of criminal appeals before the Madras High Court challenging his conviction as well as six months of simple imprisonment imposed by a trial court in two different criminal cases.

The appeals, along with the sub-applications for suspending the sentences until the disposal of appeals, are expected to be listed before Justice P. Velmurugan who holds the portfolio of hearing cases against sitting as well as former legislators.

After pronouncing its verdict in both the cases, the trial court itself had suspended the sentences for a month to enable the convict to prefer appeal before the High Court in the interregnum and test the correctness of the verdict.

Assistant Sessions Judge G. Jayavel, presiding over an Additional Special Court for cases booked against sitting as well as former MPs and MLAs, had conducted the trial and passed the judgment in the two criminal cases on December 2, 2024.

The first case was related to a tweet reportedly posted by Mr. Raja on his X handle on April 18, 2018 containing offensive remarks with a veiled reference to former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and his daughter Kanimozhi who was then a Rajya Sabha member.

The Erode Town Police had registered the case under Sections 153 (provoking people with intent to cause riot), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 509 (intending to insult modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

After conducting a full-fledged trial by examining all witnesses including the complainant P. Selvaraj, a former DMK Minister, the sessions judge found the convict guilty of all three charges but ordered that the sentences shall run concurrently.