Former Inspector General of Police Ponn Manickavel appears before CBI

Former Idol Wing CID Inspector-General A.G. Ponn Manickavel appears before CBI in compliance with Madras High Court conditions.

Former Inspector-General of Police of Idol Wing CID A.G. Ponn Manickavel on Monday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in adherence to the conditions laid down by the Madras High Court in connection with a case filed against him.

The CBI had registered a case against the former police officer following an order of the Madras High Court on a petition filed by former officer Kader Batcha, who had levelled allegations against Mr. Manickavel.

The CBI’s case is that when Mr. Manickavel was the chief investigating officer heading the Idol Wing CID, he falsely implicated police officers including Kader Batcha as accused in a criminal case, without any evidence, by pressuring the accused in idol theft/smuggling cases to give confession statements against them.

After the CBI filed the case, Mr. Manickavel moved a petition seeking advance bail. Last month, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court granted him anticipatory bail, and also imposed certain conditions on him, including a requirement that he should report before the CBI, Anti Corruption Branch, Shastri Bhawan, Chennai, at 10.30 a.m. every day for four weeks, and thereafter as and when required, for interrogation.

Complying with the conditions, Mr. Manickavel on Monday appeared before the CBI officer concerned and signed on the register.