CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered three months simple imprisonment to a special sub-inspector of police in Tiruvarur district for forging the signature of an inspector and filing the charge sheet in a family dispute, despite a stay order on the proceedings in the case by the high court. Justice P Velmurugan, on Monday, passed the orders to punish SSI K Sankar of Valangaiman police station with the imprisonment on a suo motu contempt of court case.
The judge found him violating the orders of the court passed on August 18, 2023 on a petition filed by P Pradeepan of Valangaiman, staying the proceedings of a matrimonial dispute case between the petitioner, who was working in UAE, and his estranged wife.
Pursuant to the filing of the charge sheet, the police issued a look out circular against Pradeepan who later challenged it. The court, while hearing the petition filed by him on June 12, 2025, quashed the lookout circular and initiated suo motu contempt against inspector Rangarajan, who had served at the station at that time.
However, during hearing, it was submitted that Rangarajan was transferred from the station well before filing the charge sheet, and inquiries revealed that Sankar forged his signature. Subsequently, the court impleaded the SSI and pronounced the sentence.
The court said the conduct of the investigation and filing charge sheet — even when the stay was in force and the actual petition was pending in the court — is nothing but violation/disobedience of the order of stay granted by the court.
Sankar was present in the court on Monday when the orders were passed.
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