Viji v. The State Rep By, The Inspector Of Police

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 20.02.2026

CORAM:

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA and Crl.M.P.Nos.2948 & 2950 of 2026 1.

Viji Bhakyaraj B (Wrongly mentioned as Bakiyaraj in FIR) 3.

Perumal 4.

Thirumal M 5.

Boobalan (Wrongly mentioned as Boopalan in FIR) 6.

Ragavan S 7.

Venkatesan 8.

Durairaj 9.

Manikandan E 10.

Anbazhagan 11.

Munusami 12.

Manogaran 13.

Sathasivam (Wrongly mentioned as Sadhasivam in FIR) 14.

Duraisamy @ Durai 15.

Arumugam 1/7

16.

Rani 17.

V. Radha 18.

Saraswathy (Wrongly mentioned as Saraswathi in FIR) 19.

Sundaresan Chellam 20.

Sekar S 21.

Sarathi 22.

Ellappan S/o.Manikkam (Wrongly mentioned as Veerakumaran in FIR) 23.

Mahendhiran D (Wrongly mentioned as Maghendiran in FIR) 24.

Annamalai V 25.

Jayaraman 26.

Chithambaram M 27.

Ellappan S/o.Perumal (Wrongly mentioned as Ellappan instead of Ellapan in FIR) 28.

Gayathri S 29.

Vasantha K 30.

Baby (Wrongly mentioned as Babi in FIR) 31.

Amul D 32.

Devi B 33.

Muniyammal 34.

Kasthuri 35.

Raji 2/7

36.

Damodarapillai K (Wrongly mentioned as Thamodharan in FIR) 37.

Murugan 38.

Devan M ... Petitioners Vs.

1.

The State represented by, The Inspector of Police, Vandavasi North Police Station, Tiruvannamalai District.

(Crime No.195 of 2023) Viswanathan R ... Respondents PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition is filed under Section 528 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita/Section 482 Cr.P.C., to call for the entire records pertaining to the impugned charge sheet filed in S.T.C.No.536 of 2023 on the file of the Judicial Magistrate Court, Vandavasi and quash the same as against the petitioners concerned. For Petitioners : Mr.Henry Tiphangne For R1 : Mr.S.Santhosh Government Advocate (Criminal Side)

O R D E R

The present Criminal Original Petition has been filed seeking to quash the proceedings in S.T.C..No.536 of 2023 pending on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate Court, Vandavasi. 3/7

The case of the prosecution is that on 28.08.2023, the petitioners and others, without obtaining any prior permission, unlawfully assembled and staged a protest against the SIPCOT project by setting fire on the road and thereby caused public nuisance. Consequently, a case in Crime No.195 of 2023 was registered by the respondent Police for the offences under Sections 143, 341, 285, 283 & 290 IPC. After completion of investigation, the final report was filed before the Judicial Magistrate Court, Vandavasi, and the learned Magistrate took cognizance of the same and numbered it as S.T.C.No.536 of 2023, which is now sought to be quashed. 3.

Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that the facts of the instant case are similar to the facts of the cases in Jeevanandham and others vs. The Inspector of Police, Velayuthampalayam Police Station, Karur District reported in (2018 2 LW (Crl) 606) and Sri Raja vs Inspector of Police, Sivakasi Town Police Station Virudhunagar District and others (Crl.O.P(MD) No.7922 of 2019, decided on 30.08.2019), in which the proceedings were quashed. Hence, he prayed to quash the proceedings pending against the petitioners. 4/7

4.

Learned Government Advocate (Criminal Side) appearing for the respondent Police endorsed the aforesaid submission of the learned counsel for the petitioners that the facts of the instant case are akin to the facts in the aforesaid two cases.

5.

Heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and perused the materials available on record.

6.

In view of the above, this Court is of the opinion that the above said decisions would apply on all fours to the present case and that no useful purpose would be served by keeping the proceedings pending and the same is liable to be quashed.

7.

Accordingly, the Criminal Original Petition stands allowed and the proceedings in S.T.C..No.536 of 2023, on the file of the Judicial Magistrate Court, Vandavasi, is hereby quashed in entirety. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. 20.02.2026 ham 5/7

To 1.

The Judicial Magistrate, Vandavasi.

The Inspector of Police, Vandavasi North Police Station, Tiruvannamalai District.

3.

The Public Prosecutor, High Court of Madras.

6/7

A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA , J.

ham and Crl.M.P.Nos.2948 & 2950 of 2026 20.02.2026 7/7