C.V. Sekar v. The State Of Tamil Nadu Rep By The Inspector Of Police

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 22-01-2026

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA and Crl.M.P.(MD) Nos.20454 & 20456 of 2025

1. C.V. Sekar 2.T.M.Kalyanasundaram, 3.M.C. Muruganantham, 4.Malai Murugesan, 5.Rajendran, 6.S.K.Udhayakumar 7.Bharathidhasan @ V.K.T.Bharathi

8. Asaithambi 9.V.Mahalingam 10.R.Balachandran 11.S.L.Murugesh 12.G.Vetrivel 13.A.Pichai 14.S.Devendran 15.R.Rajendran 16.S.Chinnappan 17.A.Selvaraj 18.P.Sundaralingam

19.N.Dhanraj 20.M.Thatchanamoorthi 21.S.Selvanayagam 22.R.Shanmugam, 23.V.Sivasubramanian 24.K.Manoharan 25.S.Kalimuthu 26.A.Gunasekaran 27.N.Neelakandan 28.V.Muthuvel 29.L.Elangovan 30.R.Veerapandian, 31.R.Balasubramani 32.T.Chinnadurai 33.K.Aravazhi 34.R.Ashok Kumar 35.T.Porselvam 36.R.Mahalingam 37.U.Balasubramanian 38.P.Jeyakumar 39.S.Rengasamy 40.K.Raman 41.S.Gunasekaran 42.R.Palanivel 43.K.Natarajan

44.T.Annappan 45.Subha Petitioner(s) Vs

1. The State of Tamil Nadu rep by The Inspector of Police Town Police Station, Pattukottai, Thanjavur District.

Crime No.1236 of 2022.

Respondent(s) PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 528 of B.N.S.S, to call for the records and quash the charge sheet in S.T.C.No. 42 of 2024 on the file of the Learned Judicial Magistrate, Pattukkottai, Thanjavur District, as against the Petitioners herein.

For Petitioners:

Mr.D.R.Murugesan For Respondent:

Mr.K.M.D.Muhilan Additional Public Prosecutor

ORDER

The present Criminal Original Petition has been filed seeking to quash S.T.C.No. 42 of 2024 on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate, Pattukkottai, Thanjavur District.

2.

The brief facts of the case are that on 19.10.2022, the petitioners allegedly formed an unlawful assembly without prior permission and conducted a protest condemning the arrest of a former Chief Minister, thereby allegedly causing a public nuisance. Consequently, the respondent police registered a case in Crime No. 1236 of 2022 for offences punishable under Sections 143, 341,

290, and 291 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). After completion of the investigation, the respondent Police filed a charge sheet before the learned Judicial Magistrate, Pattukkottai, Thanjavur District, who took cognizance of the same and issued summons to the petitioners in S.T.C.No. 42 of 2024, 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 No.7922 of 2019, decided on 30.08.2019), in which the proceedings were quashed. Hence, he prayed to quash the summons issued on the petitioners.

4.

Learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent Police submitted that the present case was registered due to the protest conducted without obtaining prior permission. He also endorsed the 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.

Having heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and

upon perusal of the entire materials available on record, 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 will be served by keeping the proceedings pending and the same is liable to be quashed. 6.

Accordingly, the Criminal Original Petition stands allowed and the proceedings in S.T.C.No. 42 of 2024 on the file of the learned Judicial Magistrate, Pattukkottai, Thanjavur District, is hereby quashed as against the petitioners. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. 22-01-2026 rpl Index:Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Internet:Yes To

1. The Judicial Magistrate, Pattukkottai, Thanjavur District. 2.The Inspector of Police Town Police Station, Pattukottai, Thanjavur District.

3. The Public Prosecutor, High Court of Madras, Chennai.

A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA J.

rpl 22-01-2026