H Raja sentenced to six months in prison in Periyar statue and Kanimozhi remarks cases

A special court has sentenced H. Raja to six months imprisonment in each of two cases related to remarks about a Periyar statue and Kanimozhi.

Senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the head of the Tamil Nadu Coordination Committee, H. Raja, is facing several pending court cases. In 2018, he made controversial remarks about a Periyar statue, posting on Twitter that he would demolish it. He also made derogatory remarks against Kanimozhi, the DMK's deputy general secretary and MP, which led to police complaints.

A case was filed against Raja based on a complaint lodged at the Erode Town police station. The Madras High Court ordered the special court to complete the trial in both cases within three months. The trial, presided over by Special Court Judge G. Jayavel, has been ongoing for the past three months. Raja's defense argued that his remarks against Kanimozhi were political and that there was insufficient evidence regarding the threat to demolish the Periyar statue. They requested his acquittal.

The government argued that there was evidence supporting the allegations against H. Raja. After hearing both sides, the judge postponed the verdict. Today, Judge Jayavel delivered the verdict in the cases related to the Periyar statue and the remarks against Kanimozhi.

The judge stated that the police had proven the allegations against H. Raja and confirmed that the two posts in question were indeed published on H. Raja's social media account.

Special Court Judge G. Jayavel declared H. Raja guilty in both cases, sentencing him to six months of imprisonment in each. H. Raja and his supporters are reportedly shocked by the verdict and plan to appeal the special court judge's decision.