CHENNAI : As many as 2,372 people were booked across the State on Tuesday for bursting crackers beyond the stipulated hours fixed by the Supreme Court.Chennai city topped the list with 359 bookings. In the neighbouring Kancheepuram district, 79 cases were registered and in Tiruvallur, 105 cases. The Madurai city police registered the second highest of 134 cases.
Other tier-2 cities including Coimbatore (114), Tirunelveli (109), Tiruchy (45) and Salem (44) booked people for violating the SC order. The State government had fixed 6 am to 7 am and 7 pm to 8 pm as the permitted timings for bursting crackers.
In Chennai, the most number of cases were booked under Anna Nagar police district and Ambattur police district with around 60 cases each. The cases were registered either under IPC section 188 on charges of violating an order of a public servant. Under this section, the accused may get a simple imprisonment of up to one month or a just fine of `200.
In some cases, the police have also invoked a little more stringent IPC section 285. Under this section, the accused may be jailed for a maximum of six months or slapped with a fine of `1,000 or both.
Cases against boys unnecessary: CPM
Chennai: Filing cases against small boys for bursting crackers by violating the two-hour period permitted by the Supreme Court is unnecessary, CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan said on Wednesday. This is particularly so when crimes against women are high in the State, he said. To celebrate the November revolution, he hoisted the party flag at the CPM office on Wednesday. He said there were so many law and order issues and arrest of small boys for bursting crackers is unnecessary.