Madras HC demands detailed report on the Marina violence

The judge also wanted to know what action was taken against police personnel who had allegedly unleashed violence and the reason for denying proper treatment to the injured victims.

File picture of crowd at Marina beach in Chennai protesting against the ban on jallikattu. (EPS | Ashwin Prasath)

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Advocate-General R Muthukumaraswamy to file within two weeks a detailed counter affidavit, giving the reasons for removing the peaceful protestors from the Marina, and attacking them. The judge also wanted to know what action was taken against police personnel who had allegedly unleashed violence and the reason for denying proper treatment to the injured victims.

The above two photos present a study in contrast about the way the agitation was handled. While on the left is a file picture of a showdown between the cops and protestors on the Marina, the one on the right shows the last of the pro-jallikattu agitators shaking hands with DCP A Mayilvaganan after his rousing speech to disperse the crowd in Tiruchy | express

Justice R Mahadevan issued the directive when a criminal original petition from advocate B Kumar came up on Monday. Senior advocate R Gandhi too filed a similar PIL seeking CBI probe into the incidents, including police excesses.

Appearing as party-in-person, Gandhi submitted that everything went on peacefully till January 23. There was not even a single incident of violence. All of a sudden on January 23, the police wanted to remove the protestors forcibly and caned them when they resisted. Who had given the orders to remove the protestors and cane them, he asked.

Unless there was an official order from the top, the cops would not have done what they did, Gandhi said and prayed for a CBI probe to unearth the truth. K Balu, the counsel for Kumar, claimed he had enough evidence in the form of video clips to prove his claim of police atrocities.

When the judge referred to the statement of the Government that it would take action on officials involved in the violence, Balu said the police commissioner had already in a statement to the media justified the police action. He had also claimed that the videos had been morphed. Hence, no relief could be expected from him or the Government, Balu said and prayed for a CBI probe.

Besides seeking adequate compensation to the injured persons Gandhi also wanted the court to restrain the police from using canes on people in future.

Balu said the police version that some antisocial elements had rented police uniforms and indulged in violence should be viewed seriously. “If the allegation is true, then it is a more serious issue,” he added. To this, Justice Mahadevan said that officials failed to understand that such statements would actually go against them.

Pointing to the recent announcement of George, the city police chief, providing Rs 10,000 financial aid to injured police personnel, Gandhi said the announcement added insult to injury.