Court issues fresh notices to cops in HC violence case

Almost six months after the Madras high court witnessed largescale violence involving police and lawyers, a division bench has ordered fresh notices to the director-general of police, former city police commissioner and former joint commissioner, in their official as well as personal capacity. The bench comprising Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifulla and Justice R Banumathi issued the notices on Monday, after listening to the submissions of the aggrieved lawyers and advocate-general PS Raman. The matter was then adjourned to August 27 for further hearing. The judges told a packed court hall that since former additional commissioner AK Viswanathan was represented by an advocate in court on Monday, a notice be sent only to M Ramasubramani, who is the deputy inspector-general of Tiruchi range now. A notice be sent to him in his individual capacity, returnable by August 27, the judges said. Notices will also be sent to DGP KP Jain and former commissioner K Radhakrishnan. The matter relates to the February 19 violence on court campus, which left scores of advocates and policemen injured, besides causing extensive damage to vehicles and court properties. After a full bench of the court took cognizance of the issue and ordered the suspension of Viswanathan and Ramasubramani, the officials moved the Supreme Court stating that they were not heard by the full bench before it passed the order. On July 14, the apex court remanded the matter back to the high court, asking the latter to give a fair hearing to the officials. When the case was listed before a bench comprising Justice SJ Mukhoadhaya and Justice K Chandru last, the judges recused themselves from the hearing. Consequently, it was posted before the present bench as a specially ordered case. The court issued the common notice, besides notices in the individual capacity of officials, in order to ensure that all officials received notices and no repetition happened. It, however, did not send any notice to home secretary in her individual capacity. The court did not issue notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Union Government as they were represented by N Chandrasekaran and P Chandrasekaran respectively.

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