Former Deputy Chief Minister and DMK MLA Udhayanidhi (48), who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, was arrested in Chennai on Tuesday in connection with a case registered in Thanjavur. Police booked the case under nine sections after allegations that he made an obscene remark about women during a DMK protest linked to the Cauvery issue.
According to the report, Udhayanidhi had participated in the demonstration in Thanjavur a day earlier. Based on the complaint, Thanjavur Town East Police registered the case and later moved to take him into custody from his residence area in Neelankarai on East Coast Road, Chennai.
The arrest triggered protests by DMK functionaries and supporters, who gathered outside his house and attempted to block the police vehicle. Former ministers including Durai Murugan, Nehru, Velu, Sekar Babu and Subramanian, along with family members, objected and argued with police, citing a petition seeking anticipatory bail in the Madras High Court.
During the High Court hearing, the government side reportedly told the court that there was no intention to send him to judicial custody and that he would be released on station bail after questioning. Accepting this, the judge directed that he be released the same night after the inquiry.
Police initially planned to take him to Thanjavur East Police Station, but due to a large gathering there, he was taken to Sengipatti Police Station. After discussions, he entered the station around 6.30 pm, questioning began around 6.45 pm, and he was released at about 8.10 pm—around 10 hours after his arrest—before leaving for Chennai via Tiruchy.
