MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court took suo motu cognisance of a news report published in The New Indian Express on Friday about police inaction against a cop who allegedly demanded sex from a woman belonging to the Narikurava community at Sankarankovil bus stand in Tenkasi district.
A division bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi, during the video conference hearing on Friday, referred to the news report and noted that though a video of the incident went viral on social media, police were waiting for a formal complaint to take action.
They asked the government counsels why the police waited for a formal complaint when the video clearly proves the commission of the offence.
Calling the issue an eye-opener, they said a separate wing should be formed by the state government to monitor print and television reports as well as social media and notify such matters to concerned officials. Swift action should be taken on such reports without waiting for formal complaints, they added.
They took suo motu cognisance of the issue and added the Chief Secretary, Secretaries of Home and Public Relations departments and Director General of Police, among others, as parties in the case. The matter was adjourned to Friday for filing of response.
The New Indian Express report stated that Ramachandran, a policeman attached to the Tamil Nadu Special Police who was in an inebriated state, demanded sex from a Narikurava woman at the Sankarankovil bus stand on Thursday. He also threatened her with a lathi but commuters at the bus stand prevented him from reaching her and also took away the liquor bottle he hid inside his shirt, the report added.