The Thondamuthur Police identified the accused as R. Suresh (51) and L. Ramesh (48), employees of the Canara Bank.

The Coimbatore police on Friday arrested a bank clerk and a certified jewellery appraiser on a complaint from an AIADMK functionary that they made mocking remarks about Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s health condition during banking hours. They were subsequently remanded in judicial custody.

According to the FIR, AIADMK functionary Punitha Devi had gone to the Canara Bank’s Thondamuthur branch on October 7. She had then overheard L. Ramesh (48), the bank’s clerk, and R. Suresh (51), the certified jewellery appraiser, making adverse comments about Ms. Jayalalithaa’s condition.

Ms. Devi objected to their conversation. However, Mr. Ramesh and Mr. Suresh allegedly spoke to her in an intimidating manner following which she left the bank.

Subsequently, she filed a complaint at the Thondamuthur police station. On Friday, the two were arrested and produced before the magistrate.

No proof against staff, says bank union official

With two staff members of a Coimbatore bank remanded in custody on Friday for alleged adverse remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalalithaa, the Coimbatore District Bank Employees’ Association president N. Manoharan hinted that there were no witnesses to the incident. The bank branch manager Monisha was not there that day and the only other employee, Jayaraman, a clerk, said he too was not around.

“We will discuss our next course of action after talking to the arrested staff,” he said, adding that nonetheless, the association would not endorse any objectionable comments about the Chief Minister’s health.

C.H. Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees’ Association, told The Hindu while the organisation and its members were praying for Ms. Jayalalithaa’s recovery, inquiries by the local AIBEA office-bearers had revealed that there was nothing in the CCTV footage obtained from the bank to indicate that AIADMK functionary Punitha Devi and the two accused staff had a heated exchange of words. “The police should not harass the two arrested persons and release them,” he added.

Seeks transparency

Asked for his comment, retired judge of the Madras High Court, Justice D. Hariparanthaman said rumour-mongering can be curtailed if there were regular updates on Ms. Jayalalithaa’s health. “When the Chief Minister is a public personality, the general public naturally would want to know her health condition. Transparency, as in western countries, is the solution,” he said.

“Arrest and incarceration of people for rumour-mongering or gossiping undermines the right to freedom of speech and democratic values. It shows how the state has become vulnerable, intolerant. Criminalising gossip/rumour-mongering and using state machinery to silence citizens reflects the sad state of affairs,” said leading advocate Sudha Ramalingam.

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Governor sends report to Centre

For the first time since Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was hospitalised three weeks ago, acting Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao sent a report to the Home Ministry on Friday.

The report, an official said, did not say anything about the Chief Minister’s health. It mentioned the reallocation of portfolios held by Ms. Jayalalithaa to Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam. The Governor also informed the Centre that he was given an opportunity to meet the CM but he decided not to visit the room where she is being treated amid health concerns.