CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the police to give protection to students of IIT, Madras, more particularly to a section of them, who staged agitations against the recent ban on beef.
When the writ petition from two research scholars – Arjun Jayakumar, mechanical engineering, and K Saminathan, applied mechanics, having affiliation with the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle – came up for hearing, Justice R Mahadevan gave the oral direction.
The judge also directed the Additional Public Prosecutor to get instructions on the petition, which sought to appoint an investigating officer not below the rank of a DCP, other than DCP of Mylapore Range, to probe their complaint dated June 2 last made in connection with the attack on another research scholar, Sooraj, complete the same and file the final report within a time frame to be fixed by the court.
According to petitioners, the Kotturpuram police, with whom the complaint was lodged, is yet begin the probe, despite repeated requests. They are yet to identify the accomplices/co-accused, who were with Manish Kumar Singh, the prime accused in the case.
“He is a thug and an habitual offender. On the other hand, the police is safeguarding the accused indirectly by entertaining them to file a false counter-complaint against the victim,” petitioners said. In fact, they had registered an FIR against Sooraj, the victim, under Secs. 341 and 325 of the IPC even though the complaint was not particularly against him.
“Even a prudent man who reads the complaint given by Manish Kumar Singh could arrive to a clear conclusion that no case was made out against him,” petitioners submitted adding that these facts would demonstrate the mala fide action of the Kotturpuram police.