CHENNAI: Stating that persons with criminal background should not become policy makers, a division bench of the Madras High Court has suggested the Union government to come up with a comprehensive legislation to prohibit such persons from contesting elections to the Parliament, State Legislatures and Local Bodies.
Citing media reports, Justices N Kirubakaran and VM Velumani said that many politicians and leaders of communal and religious outfits are operating rowdy gangs throughout the country. It is also reported that persons with criminal background are becoming policy makers and the same has to be prevented and the system has to be cleansed.
The judge was admitting a habeas corpus petition from one Jamuna seeking to quash the cases pending against her husband Jana alias Janarthanan (30), produce him in court and set him at liberty. Jana was arrested on November 5, 2019, and lodged in the Puducherry Central Jail.
Though 19 cases, including murder and NDPS cases, had been registered against him, there was no progress in the proceedings for years, allegedly due to his connection with the local politicians. The bench raised a set of 11 queries to be answered by the authorities concerned.
“Why not the Puducherry government enact a law like Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, to control the criminal activities in Puducherry?” was the last question. The matter will be taken up after two weeks.