CHENNAI: Mauling the Greater Chennai Police for lethargy and shabby probe into a complaint of misappropriation of funds by the previous office-bearers of Southern India Cinematographers Association, the Madras High Court has summoned four police inspectors to appear in connection with a contempt case.
Justice AD Jagadish Chandira on Tuesday suo motu impleaded inspectors Sivakumar, Ramamoorthy, Selvarani and Kannan, who had served as crime inspector at Pondy Bazaar police station during the relevant period, and directed them to appear before the court on February 5.
The order was passed on a contempt of court petition filed by Kayal Ilavarasu, film actor and general secretary of the cinematographers association seeking action against the police for disobeying an earlier order of the court passed in 2022 directing them to complete the investigation in four months.
The judge flayed the police concerned of sleeping on the complaint lodged in 2016 and FIR was registered only in 2018 after a court direction. The court had once again issued a direction to file the final report in 2022. However, only after the contempt of court petition was filed, the police submitted that the final report was filed on December 13, 2023.
“It was kept pending for five years. All of a sudden inquiry was held for just 40 minutes and statements were recorded. Next day, the final report was filed,” the judge wondered.
“They are an association and are able to knock the doors of the court for registering FIR, completing probe and filing final report. Think of a common man. What he can do,” he asked.
Meanwhile, Ilavarasu tendered unconditional apology for making an incorrect submission saying that he was inquired by the police on December 13, 2023 and not on December 12, 2023 as stated by the department.
Ilavarasu said he made the statement due to stress and bonafide belief that he was at a shooting at Mahabalipuram on December 12. The court accepted his apology.