SELVAN Vs. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) On the complaint lodged by one Sugatha, the respondent police registered a case in Crime No.801 of 2017 for the offences under Sections 147, 294(b), 506(1) IPC and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act, 2003 and 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015 against Surulirajan (A-1), Selvan (A-2), Lakshmanan (A-3), Muthuramalingam (A-4) and Sarangaranarayanan (A-5) and two others. These appellants were arrested on 22.11.2017 and they filed bail application in Cr.M.P.No.217 of 2018 before the learned Principal Sessions Judge, Theni, which was dismissed on 12.01.2018, aggrieved by which, this appeal has been filed.

(2.) Heard the learned counsel for the appellants and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the respondents 1 and

(3.) On a reading of the First Information Report, it is alleged that the family of the defacto complainant had borrowed Rs.2,00,000/- (Rupees Two Lakhs only) from Surulirajan (A-1) and that Surulirajan (A-1) was demanding exorbitant interest. Though the husband of the defacto complainant had paid substantial amounts, yet, Surulirajan (A-1) and the other accused were giving credit to the amounts paid only towards the interest and not towards the principal. While so, it is alleged that, on 19.11.2017, all the accused came to the house of the defacto complainant and started demanding money. They abused the defacto complainant and her husband and criminally intimidated them. Fearing them, the defacto complainant and her family consumed poison and attempted to commit suicide. By the intervention of the neighbours, their lives were saved.