MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday ordered a CB-CID probe into the disruption and attack during a public hearing organised by Arappor Iyakkam against illegal quarrying in Tirunelveli last year.
Justice B Pugalendhi gave the order while hearing a petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam convener Jayaram Venkatesan and PUCL leader V Suresh seeking to transfer the case from the Palayamkottai police station to the CB-CID.
The judge said the state is expected to defend victims and it alone has the power of investigation. “The purpose of an investigation is to find the truth, but the police acted in a biased manner and conducted the probe without even examining the organisers and others, and hurriedly filed a final report,” the judged observed and held that the investigation had not been conducted in a fair manner.
Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that the final report had already been filed before the Judicial Magistrate I in Tirunelveli but was yet to be taken on file. The judge said even if the defective final report is taken on file, it should be returned by the magistrate. The Commissioner of Tirunelveli Police should retrieve the report from the Judicial Magistrate I and forward it to the IGP, CB-CID, within two weeks.
The IGP, CB-CID, shall entrust the investigation either to the Tirunelveli CB-CID inspector or to another honest investigation officer, ensuring that the probe is conducted in a fair and proper manner. The IGP, CB-CID, should also ensure that the final report is filed within three months.