: Madras High Court today permitted Dalit leader B John Pandian, against whom a 15-year-old criminal case is pending in a lower court in Dindigul, to go abroad for a wedding on condition that he cooperate during the trial.
Justice S Vaidyanathan directed the Regional Passport officer, Chennai, to renew his passport which expires on November 14 and re-issue it based on his application.
The petitioner is also president of Deivendra Kula Velalar Sangam.
The court said the pendency of the case in the judicial magistrate court at Dindigul was no bar for issuance of passport or renewal of the same.
The case against him pertains to making arrangements to erect a statue of Dalit leader Thyagi Katta Karuppa Sundaralinga Kurumban without police permission.
Earlier he had travelled abroad and had complied with the undertaking given before Judicial Magistrate II, Dindigul, had travelled abroad and returned to attend court proceedings.
Pandian submitted he had to go abroad to attend a relative's wedding. He was also president of a political outfit. He had a right to possess a passport as he might have to travel abroad for treatment of various ailments
He said there was no anti-national case pending against him and that he had moved court as the regional passport officer would not re-issue the passport since there was no permission from the court for him to travel abroad.
