MADURAI: An advocate has filed a Public Interest Litigation at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking three interim directions that include directing the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Thoothukudi to inspect the Armed Reserve camp in the district in order to confirm that there is no illegal detention in relation to the anti-Sterlite protest in the town on May 22.
The litigant, AWD Tilak, an advocate and the Chief Convenor of the Coordinating Committee for People’s Inquest into Thoothukudi police firing, prayed the court to direct district administration to provide a copy of the prohibitory order promulgated by it on May 21 as the same has not been furnished yet through the Right to Information Act.
Stating that the police personnel, in the pretext of investigation into the May 22 violence, have violated their statutory orders and arrested many people without following the guidelines prescribed under various sections of Criminal Procedure Code, the advocate also appealed the court to give strict orders to police to stop such illegal detention.
He further sought for directions to the District Legal Services Authority to appoint panel of lawyers at 8 police stations in Thoothukudi to provide 24-hour legal assistance to those already arrested in connection with the protest.