CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered the completion of trial in the criminal case against former DMK MP S Gnanathiraviam and his supporters within six months. The case was registered in connection with the assault of Bishop Godfrey Washington Noble over managing the properties of the Tirunelveli Diocese.
The court also criticised the police for failing to serve the summons issued by the judicial magistrate court to the accused persons on time and ordered the DGP to take action against the Inspector responsible for the delay.
Justice P Velmurugan passed the orders on the petition filed by the bishop seeking expeditious trial of the case.
“The judicial magistrate-I of Tirunelveli is directed to the complete the trial within a period of six months,” the judge said in the order, and directed the Police to provide “fullest cooperation” for the trial.
Holding Inspector Thillai Nagarajan, who served in the Palayamkottai police station during the relevant period, responsible for failing to serve the summons on time, the judge ordered the DGP to take departmental action against the Inspector and file an action taken report in the court.
Following the submission of Noble that he was being threatened by the accused persons, the judge ordered the DGP to instruct the jurisdictional head of the police to provide protection to him.
Slamming the police for adopting “delaying tactics” and for having a “lethargic attitude” in handling criminal complaints from the stage of registering FIR and filing charge sheet, Justice Velmurugan deplored that the common man is forced to knock the doors of the court more often to redress their grievance.
“The people are gradually losing faith in the Police department due to their lethargic attitude,” he said, adding that the faith in the judiciary is also being diminishing because of the non-cooperation of the police for ensuring a fair trial.
The judge blamed the police of siding with either of the parties in several cases, and noted they would take action on complaints lodged by the people if either the court issues an order or it gets media limelight.
The bishop filed the petitions in the court seeking a direction to the local court to fast-track the trial in the case alleging the summons was not served to Gnanathiraviam even after they were issued by the court.
The criminal case was registered in 2023 after Noble was allegedly assaulted by the supporters of the former MP at the Tirunelveli Diocese premises over the management of the Diocese’s properties.
