S.T.Sudaroli v. The Superintendent Of Police
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 28.02.2022
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN
1. S.T.Sudaroli
2. V.Muthupandi
3. Navaneethakrishnan
4. K.Subramanian
5. B.Jeganathan
6. Saraswathi
7. Radha
8. S.Indumathi
9. M.Suganthi
10. M.Selvakumari
11. Ramkumar
12. Vemburaj
13. K.Shenbagarajan
14. Ramalakshmi
...Petitioners
Vs.
1. The Superintendent of Police Tenkasi District Tenkasi
2. The Deputy Superintendent of Police Tenkasi, Tenkasi District.
3. The Inspector of Police Shenkottai Police Station Shenkottai Tenkasi District
...Respondents
PRAYER: Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 Cr.P.C. praying this Court to directing to the respondents to give adequate police protection to life and limb of the petitioners. For Petitioner : M/s.S.Sundarapandian For R1 to R3 : Mr.R.M.Anbunithi Additional Public Prosecutor
ORDER
The criminal original petition has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents to provide adequate police protection to the life and limb of the petitioners.
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2.The case of the petitioner is that all the petitioners have contested for the post of Councilor of Shenkottai Municipality, which has been held on 19.02.2022 and all of them were elected and declared as winning candidates for their respective wards in Shenkottai Municipality. There are totally 24 wards, out of which, petitioners 1 to 10 have been elected under one political party, petitioners 11 to 13 have been elected under another political party and the fourteenth petitioner has been elected as independent candidate. They have majority to elect their Chairman and Vice Chairman of Shenkottai Municipality. Hence, the opposite party members threatened the petitioners in order to support their candidates to be elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman of Shenkottai Municipality. Therefore, the petitioners are seeking police protection to their life and limb at the hands of the opposite party ward members.
3.Mr.R.M.Anbunithi, the learned Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that just now he received the copy of the petition and as such, he could not able to get instructions from the respondent 1 to 3.
4.Heard the learned Counsel appearing for the petitioners and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents.
5.It is seen that though all the petitioners have been elected to their respective wards, some of the ward members are supporting other parties and as such some of the members themselves detained other members in their custody not to allow them to support the candidates other than the opposite party candidates to the post of Chairman and Vice Chairman of Shenkottai Municipality. There are totally fourteen petitioners, in which, all the petitioners were elected as ward Councillors of Shenkottai Municipality in the local body election, which has been held on 19.02.2022. Now, all the petitioners are apprehended that the opposite party members threatened them to support their candidates for the post of Chairman and Vice Chairman.
6.Therefore, this Court feels that there is apprehension from the opposite party with regard to the petitioners' personal safety. Though the petitioners lodged complaint before the respondents, they did not take any action on their complaint.
7.Considering the above, the first and second respondents are directed to provide adequate police protection to the petitioners for their life and limb. At the same time, if any complaint received from any of the petitioner with regard to their illegal detention by other petitioners, the first and second respondents are directed to take appropriate action on their complaint. 2/3
8.With the above direction, this criminal original petition is disposed of.
Sd/- Assistant Registrar (CS-II) // True Copy // / /2022 Sub Assistant Registrar(CS) lr Note :In view of the present lock down owing to COVID-19 pandemic, a web copy of the order may be utilized for official purposes, but, ensuring that the copy of the order that is presented is the correct copy, shall be the responsibility of the advocate/litigant concerned.
To 1.The Superintendent of Police Tenkasi District Tenkasi 2.The Deputy Superintendent of Police Tenkasi, Tenkasi District.
3.The Inspector of Police Shenkottai Police Station Shenkottai Tenkasi District 4.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai.
+1 CC to M/s.S.SUNDARAPANDIAN, Advocate ( SR-9276[F] dated 01/03/2022 ) 28.02.2022 DKS(CO) GC(01.03.2022) 3P 6C 3/3