Prosecutors say protesters tore police uniforms, broke barricades and damaged police vehicles
Prosecutors say protesters tore police uniforms, broke barricades and damaged police vehicles
The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition by 31 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members for attempting to siege Chief Minister MK Stalin’s residence on February 14 to quash the FIR lodged against them. Justice was demanded. Thanjavur student, who committed suicide due to alleged pressure to convert to Christianity.
Justice GK Ilanthirayan declined to entertain a petition filed by 31 students from New Delhi, Tirupati, Puducherry, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Tiruchi, Vellore, Salem, Villupuram, Tiruvallur and Chennai. The judge said they have been booked for causing damage to public property and hence the FIR cannot be quashed.
They recorded submissions by Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak that the students had gathered illegally in a high-security area that not only housed the chief minister’s residence, but also the Japanese consulate. They pushed the policemen on duty and broke the barricades. The students tore off the uniforms of the policemen and tried to enter the chief minister’s residence, Mr. Tilak said.
Besides this, police vehicles parked outside the Chief Minister’s residence were also damaged.
The petitioners’ counsel RC Paul Kanagaraj told the court that during the scuffle between the police personnel and the peaceful protesting students, the police vehicles were damaged and there was no intentional damage.
Refuting such contention, Mr Tilak told the court that students were not allowed to protest at the site and they had gathered from across the country with the intention of laying siege to the CM’s residence. He said that out of the 35 students named in the FIR, 12 had given a false residential address when they were produced for remand before the Metropolitan Magistrate after their arrest.
“These 12 students were warned that they cannot get bail if they give false addresses. Such was his conduct. They do not deserve any leniency from the court. The police should be allowed to investigate the matter as there is a security threat very close to the Japanese consulate.