CHENNAI: Madras High Court has stayed an order of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for SC/ST directing the Police department to take departmental action against three officers, including a DSP, for lapses in handling a complaint of caste abuse lodged by an SC woman in Kancheepuram district.
Hearing a writ petition filed by Sunil, Sriperumbudur DSP, Justice Sunder Mohan recently granted an interim stay on the order of the commission dated October 13, 2022, and all further proceedings. The judge also ordered notice to the commission and other respondents returnable by eight weeks.
The interim stay was given after the government advocate S Santhosh submitted that the commission under the TN State Commission for SC/ST Act, 2021, has no powers to direct the state to initiate prosecution against the delinquent officers. He also stated that before passing the impugned order, the commission did not give the opportunity to the petitioner and the other personnel to hear their side.
The matter pertains to a complaint filed by Kalaiyarasi, alleging that her husband Chandrasekaran’s business partner S Murugan evaded payment of `80 lakh brokerage amount in real estate business. She lodged the complaint accusing Murugan of abusing her by calling out her caste. Following her complaint, the police gave her a CSR acknowledgement and held inquiries with both parties.
As per police, she had not told them about any casteist slur before approaching the commission. Based on the complaint to the commission, an FIR was registered against Murugan under the SC/ST Act. However, the commission ordered DIG of Kancheepuram to initiate departmental action against the Sriperumbudur DSP, Inspector Rajangam and SI Kothandaraman.