The Madras High Court today dismissed as withdrawn an anticipatory bail application filed by a fan of actor Vijay who apprehended arrest in connection with alleged online abuse of a woman journalist. When the matter came up for hearing, Ram Kumar, who filed the petition, said he was withdrawing it following which Justice P N Prakash dismissed the plea as withdrawn. Dhanya Rajndran, editor-in-chief of an online news portal, had earlier this month filed a police complaint after abusive comments were made on social media against her by several persons over her critical comments about a film of Vijay.

Though she deleted the comments, these did not stop, following which she lodged a police complaint. Rajendran had to face a volley of abuse from various Twitter users who were allegedly fans of actor Vijay, who has a number of hits under his belt. City Police had filed the case against some Twitter handles, and invoked various sections of Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act 2000 and TN Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 2002. Sections such as stalking and criminal intimidation were invoked against two Twitter handles. Vijay, currently shooting for his film "Mersal", had said everybody had a right to criticise films. "I respect women in society. Anybody has the freedom of expression to criticise anybodys film. My opinion is that maligning or making slanderous comments against women should not be made," he had said. Womanhood should be praised, he said, and urged that no comments "hurting anybody" and women in particular, should be published online.