TEMPORARY RELIEF: The former Minister D.T. Jayakumar coming out of the court complex in Mysore on Thursday. — Photo: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: The former Minister D.T. Jayakumar surrendered before a local court on Thursday in the wake of a non-bailable warrant against him in connection with an assault case. He was later released on bail.

Mr. Jayakumar's release on bail after three hours of "court custody" assumes political significance in view of the expansion of the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition Ministry on Friday.

A front-runner for ministerial berth, the surrender of Mr. Jayakumar, a Janata Dal (S) MLA representing the Nanjangud constituency, created ripples in political circles here.

On Wednesday, the complainant's counsel and All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) leader Venugopal made out a case for exclusion of the former Minister from the coalition Ministry in view of the pending non-bailable warrant. The Narasimharaja Block Congress Committee in Mysore too had sent a fax message to Governor T.N. Chaturvedi urging him not to induct Mr. Jayakumar in the coalition Ministry in view of the warrant.

On Thursday, Mr. Jayakumar, accompanied by a team of lawyers, went to the second JMFC court, which had issued the warrant against him in connection with assault on a Dalit at Kalamandira here.

After hearing the arguments, the judge handed Mr. Jayakumar over to "court custody" during the closing hours of the court proceedings, pending an order on the bail application filed by the former Minister's counsels.

In his order delivered around 8 p.m., the judge ordered Mr. Jayakumar's release on bail, but directed him to appear before the court regularly in response to the summons. Mr. Jayakumar was also cautioned against threatening the complainant.

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Jayakumar said he had no knowledge of the warrant issued against him. "I learnt about it only through newspaper reports," the former Minister said thanking Mr. Venugopal for drawing his attention to the warrant.

Meanwhile, Mr Venugopal said that his client, Govindaraju, filed a case against Mr. Jayakumar for allegedly assaulting him a couple of years ago at Kalamandira. The court had found prima facie evidence in the complaint and issued summons to Mr. Jayakumar. But the former Minister went to the High Court and managed to secure a stay.

"After hearing the matter, the High Court rejected Mr Jayakumar's appeal and vacated the stay," he said. After the High Court rejected Mr Jayakumar's appeal in November 2004, the second JMFC court issued non-bailable warrants against Mr. Jayakumar on 16 occasions.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Jayakumar is shown to be absconding by the police," he said.

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