CHENNAI: The Combined Court Complex in Kancheepuram district witnessed high drama on Monday after Principal District and Sessions Judge Pa U Chemmal, who is also the Special Judge for the trial of offences under the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, ordered that DSP M Sankar Ganesh be remanded in judicial custody for failing to take appropriate action in a case filed under the Act.
The suo motu order to remand the DSP for two weeks till September 22 was issued in a case registered at the Wallajabad Police Station on August 20, in which Ganesh was the investigating officer.
Soon after the order, Ganesh was seen leaving the court premises hurriedly in a vehicle, sparking rumours that he was attempting to evade arrest.
Police denied the allegation and said the DSP was taken for a medical check-up, which had to be mandatorily done before sending someone to jail. However, as of 9.30 pm on Monday, Ganesh was not taken to the sub-jail, sources said.
Court pulls up SP for not monitoring SC/ST case
Sources said the DSP was under observation at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kancheepuram as he had elevated blood pressure.
The FIR pertained to the complaint filed by a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste on July 25, 2025. In his suo motu order on Monday, the judge said the case was filed after a delay of 27 days and noted that the Station House Officer is duty-bound to file an FIR and arrest the accused as per provisions of the SC / ST (PoA) Act, which says that preliminary enquiry is not required to file FIR under the Act.
The judge also said that an earlier suo motu order of the same court issued on Thursday under Section 10 of the SC / ST (PoA) Act, directing all the accused in the case to remove themselves beyond the limits of Kancheepuram until the final report is filed by the police in the case, was not complied with.
The order further said Ganesh had not complied with the statutory provisions of the Act, had not arrested the accused, and had not served the earlier order of the court to the accused to remove themselves from the district.
Stating that the DSP was “willfully neglecting the duties required to be performed by him under the Act”, the order said that the negligence comes under the purview of Section 4 (2) (g) of the act.
SP K Shanmugham was pulled up for not monitoring the probe in violation of Rule 4(4) of the Act. The judge remarked that such administrative lapses often help officers evade accountability, stressing the need for proper oversight when framing charges. The order also reiterated the court’s responsibility to ensure protection and relief for victims of caste atrocities.