MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court directed the State Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to file counter-affidavits to a petition filed seeking a direction to appoint a judicial commission to probe alleged police atrocities during jallikattu protest here on Monday.
In his Public Interest Litigation, P Kanagavel, an advocate from Madurai, said due to the brutal attack by the police at Alanganallur, Sellur and Tamukkam ground, which were main protest venues of the city, many jallikattu protesters including minors, women and elderly were seriously injured. Many minors and women were even molested by the police, who were still conducting illegal search and threatening the families who took part in the protest.
The police were booking many protesters in fabricated cases and even keep them in illegal custody. The police perpetrated very serious atrocities particularly on members of Muslim community, the petitioner said. So the court should direct the police to provide proper medical treatment to the arrested protesters and also should direct Madurai Principal District Judge to visit Madurai Central Prison and record the statement of the protesters who were in the jail. A judicial commission led by a HC judge should be appointed to conduct the probe into the police atrocities and adequate compensation should also be given to the protesters, he prayed.
When the petition came up for hearing on Monday, the Additional Advocate General Pugazhendi said the police had to take action because, apart from blocking a passenger train in the city, the protesters damaged 10 buses and three police vehicles. So the police arrested 48 persons and remanded. While the petitioner was also booked in one of the cases connected to the protest, he should not have filed PIL.
The petitioner’s counsel contended that the police themselves inflicted violence during the protest, which was in a peaceful manner for six days, by setting fire to some of the vehicles.
A division bench of Justices A Selvam and P Kalaiyarasan has directed the State Chief Secretary, DGP, Madurai city police commissioner and the district Superintendent of Police to file the counter-affidavit within February 15.