In a huge relief amid being at large, former ADMK Minister Manikandan can stay away from the arrest till June 9 as per the latest order of the Madras High Court. Manikandan has been absconding for the past few days in view of evading the arrest from the Chennai police in connection to the sexual harassment case filed against him based on a complaint received from a Tamil actress. 

The relief for him has come when the police have tightened the manhunt to arrest him. On May 28, a popular Tamil actress had lodged a complaint against Manikandan for refusing to marry her and threatening to kill her if she dares to speak about the illicit relationship. She had alleged that the former minister had refused to marry her after living together for five years. 

She shockingly said that Manikandan had made her pregnant three times. She alleged that Manikandan has forced her to abort the fetus all three times and has tortured her and threatened her that he will release their private photos and will hire mercenaries to kill her if she opens up about the relationship in the public. Apart from filing a complaint, she had also submitted photographs, WhatsApp chats, and other proofs of her relationship with the former ADMK Minister to the Chennai Police.

Based on her complaint, the Adyar All-Women Police station had on Sunday filed a case against Manikandan under sections 376 - rape, 323 - punishment for voluntarily causing hurt, 313- causing miscarriage without woman's consent, 417- punishment for cheating, 506 (i) - criminal intimidation of the Indian Penal Code. The police had also booked a case against the former ADMK Minister under the Information Technology Act. Manikandan, who served as the Tamil Nadu Minister for Information and Technology from 2016 to 2019, has gone absconded after the complaint was filed against him.

A special police team was formed to track him and the officials were intensifying the search to nab him. The police officials have gathered the names of Manikandan's friends and assistants and began investigating them to arrest him. The police had strengthened the probe and the special team has rushed to Manikandan's home district of Ramanathapuram to collect the evidence against him and to investigate the people who are in his close circle to ascertain his whereabouts. 

The police officials have said that since Manikandan's mobile hasn't turned off, they are attempting to track his location through mobile with the help of the Cyber Crime department. However, the police are sceptical that Manikandan is not using his mobile at his present location, rather he is communicating with the mobile that belongs to one of his assistants. As the police had received the inputs that Manikandan has found a safe haven in Chennai, they had gripped up the manhunt.

However, Manikandan has on Wednesday filed an anticipatory bail petition to the Madras High court. Countering his plea, the counsel of the actress had filed a petition in the court on Thursday seeking the directive from the judicial body to dismiss Manikandan's bail petition.

On Thursday, the High Court had begun the hearing of Manikandan's bail petition and during the hearing, the counsel of the actress said that Manikandan's bail petition must be rejected and he must be put under police custody for investigation as he has been threatening the actress with their private photos. However, the court had observed that it hasn't received the actress's petition. By scheduling the next hearing on June 9, the judge has ordered to list out the actress's petition during the next hearing and the judge has also banned the police to arrest Manikandan till June 9, pouring an interim relief to the former ADMK Minister.