DMK MLA N Karthik was granted anticipatory bail by a court here today in a case registered against him...

DMK MLA N Karthik was granted anticipatory bail by a court here today in a case registered against him for "obstructing" police during raids on an illegal gutka manufacturing unit in the city's outskirts on April 27. Judge M Gunasekaran granted relief to Karthik and his party colleague Thangaraj. Cases were registered against 10 people, including Karthik and former Kannampalayam Panchayat president Dalapathi Murugesan, on the charge of obstructing the police from carrying out their duty during the raids on the unit at Kannampalayam.

While seven people were arrested and were let out on bail a few days ago, a search was on for Karthik, representing Singanallur constituency. He subsequently sought anticipatory bail. The local DMK men, including Karthik, had staged a protest seeking a thorough probe into the unearthing of the gutka unit. The police had unearthed the unit and seized large quantities of finished products and raw material from a godown in Kannampalayam and arrested four workers of the unit.