No relief for AIADMK's Manikandan's in actor's rape case; HC wary of him influencing probe

The Madras High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea moved by former AIADMK Minister M Manikandan who has been accused of rape and cheating by actor Shantini Theva. An HC bench led by Justice Abdul Quddhose rejected the AIADMK leader's anticipatory bail plea noting that the offence that Manikandan has been accused of was grave in nature and added that he could potentially influence the investigation.

On June 9, the Madras High Court refused to extend the interim protection from arrest granted to former AIADMK Minister M Manikandan who has been accused of rape and cheating. Earlier on June 3, the Madras HC had adjourned the anticipatory bail hearing of AIADMK leader M Manikandan in the rape case lodged against him by actor Shantini Theva and had noted that he wouldn't be arrested until the date of the next hearing i.e June 9. The HC bench led by Justice Abdul Quddhose refused to extend interim protection for Manikandan noting that the former AIADMK Minister had not stated valid reasons in his plea.

Accusing actor Shantini Theva of lodging the complaint with the ulterior motive to 'extort money,' the petition filed by AIADMK's M Manikandan had levelled counter-allegations of a slanderous nature. Further, the AIADMK leader denied taking compromising photos of Shantini Theva and claimed that the offence under section 67A of the Information Technology Act was added only to aid the allegation. Accordingly, AIADMK leader M Manikandan had sought the Madras High Court to grant him anticipatory bail in the matter. 

Actor accuses AIADMK's Manikandan of abusing, cheating her

Former AIADMK Minister M Manikandan was booked under Sections 417, 376, 313, 323, 506 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under section 67A of the Information Technology Act based on a complaint lodged by Tamil actor Shantini Theva. Speaking to the press earlier last week, Shantini Theva, who was also a former ambassador for Tamil Nadu tourism, claimed that she was physically & mentally abused by the former AIADMK Minister for nearly five years while they were in a relationship during which she was also allegedly forced to abort thrice after becoming pregnant. The actor also alleged that the Minister had threatened her family.

Narrating her ordeal to the media, Shantini Theva claimed that she met AIADMK leader Manikandan in 2017 and got close to him after the latter promised to do business together in Malaysia. The actor revealed that she frequented the ex-Minister's bungalow as she was told by Manikandan that his wife did not take good care of him and that he allegedly wanted to marry her. Noting that she had reportedly tagged along with the AIADMK leader to several places during his official tours, Shantini Tehva claimed that she was tortured and was also forced to abort after becoming pregnant as the AIADMK leader had objected to it, allegedly citing that he was a Minister. 

Explaining what led her to file a police complaint against AIADMK leader Manikandan, Shantini Theva claimed that the ex-Minister had threatened to leak a photo of the actor (which he had allegedly taken without her knowledge). Further, she claimed that Manikandan had many photos of her in his possession and filed a police complaint against him, seeking her photos to be deleted. On being asked why she did not raise a complaint while she was physically abused by Manikandan, Shantini Theva asked who would have taken her complaint seriously if she had filed one then & went on to say that they (Manikandan & her) had taken life forward at multiple points after compromises.  

Noting that all the details of her abuse had been mentioned in the complaint, Shantini Theva claimed that she had WhatsApp photos as evidence to show that she lived with Manikandan for five years. Showing pictures from her alleged WhatsApp chat with the AIADMK leader (which she attached with her complaint to the Police), Shantini Theva claimed that Manikandan had threatened her by saying that he had photos of her including those in a compromising position.