NTK Candidate Karthika Among Nine Released from Coimbatore Central Prison on bail; Party Cadres Accord Warm Welcome

Coimbatore: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) functionary and Dharapuram by-election candidate Karthika, along with eight other party cadres, were released from Coimbatore Central Prison after a court granted them bail in connection with protests during Chief Minister Vijay's visit to Dharapuram in Tiruppur district.

Karthika, her husband Muruga Chandrakumar and seven other party cadres were among 12 people arrested by Dharapuram police on charges of violating the Election Code of Conduct. The nine were granted bail by the Dharapuram Judicial Magistrate on Thursday night, October 22, 2026.

Advocate Nanmaran appeared on behalf of the NTK and argued the bail petition on Thursday. Judicial Magistrate Uma Maheshwari subsequently granted bail to the nine accused during the night.

Meanwhile, the bail petitions of the three other accused — Venkatesh of Nagercoil, Gokul of Chennai and Mohan Prasad of Coimbatore — are scheduled to be heard today.

Following the court's order, Karthika and the other eight accused walked out of Coimbatore Central Prison today, where Naam Tamilar Katchi members had gathered to accord them a warm welcome.