A court in Alandur has issued an arrest warrant against DMDK chief and Tamil actor Vijayakant. The warrant was issued after the actor failed to attend a hearing on Tuesday, for a 2012 case against him for allegedly assaulting a journalist.
The incident took place at the Chennai airport on November 27, 2012. A reporter named M Balasubramaniam had asked him about a possible split in his party. Following this, the DMDK leader allegedly threw an angry fit and abused the reporter. In addition to this, Vijayakant allegedly ordered his party men to assault him. A complaint was filed at the airport police station.
"The case has been pending for five years in court and now a new judge has taken it up," confirms Balasubramaniam. "He abused me and my family. And then I was pushed to the ground as well. When the government heard about it, (then CM) J Jayalalithaa had told the police to take quick action," he adds.
The other accused in the case, Murugesan, was present in the court while Vijaykanth failed to attend the hearing. "He has gone to Singapore now, just to avoid coming to court," alleges the journalist.
The DMDK chief's sudden foreign trip drew speculation over his health but his party has claimed that he has only gone for a yearly health check-up. A statement from DMDK headquarters reportedly said, "Our party's founder-president and general secretary, Captain Vijayakanth, has regular habit of undergoing health check-up once in a year."
Subsequently, on December 1, Vijayakant had posted pictures of himself in Singapore on Twitter. The pictures showed the actor-turned-politician posing in front of a Christmas tree.
Now in #Singapore pic.twitter.com/RUtlsEr9Ie
— Vijayakant (@iVijayakant) December 1, 2017
Vijaykanth has expressed his disdain towards journalist during several occasions in the past. He allegedly spat at reporters covering a blood donation in 2015 which led to protests outside his residence.