Sterlite: HC summons Tuticorin SP over plea on illegal detention

Madurai: Tuticorin superintendent of police, Murali Rambha has been summoned to appear before the Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Wednesday in response to a petition before the court which sought interim directions to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to inquire illegal detentions of anti-Sterlite protestors in Tuticorin district.

The petitioner also sought an interim direction to the DLSA to appoint 24-hour panel lawyers in all police stations in the district to ensure that public have legal assistance.

The petitioner, S Mohan, joint director of NGO, People’s Watch stated that policemen in the district have been harassing people by detaining them illegally and pointed out incidents in his petition. Mohan mentioned about the illegal detention of another human rights activist, Prince Cardoza who was taken into illegal custody from his residence on the pretext of inquiry and was taken to an empty land instead of a police station to question about his correspondence with a foreign freelance journalist. The petitioner stated that Cardoza was not taken to a police station as required in the criminal procedure code and this is the case with several other people with anti-Sterlite views in Tuticorin.

The petitioner pointed out one more case of illegal detention of a B.Com graduate, K Santosh Raj who was arrested on charges of issuing anti-Sterlite pamphlets near a college in Tuticorin. Raj rose to a shortlived fame when the anti-Sterlite protest was at its peak after a video of him questioning actor Rajnikanth “Who are you?” went viral. The petitioner who visited the youth in Palayamkottai prison said that he has been subjected to mental and physical torture by the policemen and sought court direction to have DLSA inquire Raj about the excess in police custody and also pass an interim direction to issue fair and just compensation to him.

The petitioner also sought an interim direction to the Tuticorin SP to produce before the court all applications received before the police stations under his jurisidiction for permissions seeking public meetings since May 22, 2018 and how they have been disposed.