MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday stayed the proceedings pending against former Ambasamudram ASP Balveer Singh before the Judicial Magistrate I, Tirunelveli, in connection with the four custodial torture cases registered against him by the CBCID in 2023.
Justice Shamim Ahmed passed the interim order on a batch of revision petitions filed by Singh challenging the orders passed by the lower court on September 15, framing charges against him for the above cases.
Singh alleged in the petitions that some anti-social elements who considered him an obstacle to their criminal activities had fabricated the above false cases to remove him from his position as the top official of the Ambasamudram sub-division.
Though the CBCID's final report, dated November 29, 2023, was full of conflicting versions, the trial court failed to consider them and mechanically framed charges against him and the other accused under various Sections of the IPC and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000, he claimed, adding that the trial court framed charges in Tamil despite knowing that he was not familiar with the language.
The trial court ought to have ensured the supply of translated copies of the charge sheet and statements of witnesses before framing charges, as it deprived him of the opportunity to defend himself effectively, he further said and sought the above relief. He also sought an interim stay against all further proceedings in the above cases.
When the petition was heard on Friday, Additional Advocate General M Ajmal Khan sought two week's time to file counter affidavit. Recording this, the judge granted an interim stay and adjourned the petitions to January 27, 2026.