Rajinikanth’s counsel has filed an affidavit after the actor failed to appear before the commission for the second time.
Superstar Rajinikanth failed to appear before the Aruna Jegadeesan Commission on Tuesday, in connection to the police firing against anti-Sterlite protestors in Thoothukudi in 2018. The actor had claimed, after visiting wounded victims, that the violence in the protest was instigated by anti-social elements. He had even claimed that he had evidence to prove his allegations.
However, he skipped the summons on Tuesday and his counsel Ilambharathi reportedly filed an affidavit stating that the actor would appear before the panel via videoconferencing. According to The Hindu, the commission’s video conferencing facility is only available in the Chennai office and the commission could insist he appear in person in the Chennai office or conduct the questioning through video conferencing as requested. But even this, according to Rajinikanth’s counsel, can be done only after two months.
Speaking to the media after submitting the affidavit, advocate Ilambharthi stated that trials in most of the cases are being conducted through videoconferencing currently and that if Rajinikanth’s request is admitted, he could be questioned via video after two or three months. The actor has, as per his counsel, already answered a questionnaire sent by the commission in March and has said he is ready to answer a fresh one too.
Rajinikanth was issued his first summon in February 2020 but reportedly did not turn up claiming that it will cause inconvenience to the public. The second summons was issued on December 21, asking the actor to appear on January 19.
Rajinikanth has maintained that he is facing health issues in the recent past and even pulled the plug on his political entry citing the same. He was supposed to launch his party in January this year, but after a COVID-19 scare and blood-pressure related issues, he told supporters that he will not be taking the political plunge.
Source: The News Minute