Chennai | Taking a serious view of police arresting people in court premises, Madras High Court Chief Justice Indira Banerjee today said the court would not tolerate such action, which was against Supreme Court guidelines.
She said this while going through the records related to a recent incident at a magistrate’s court in Tirupur. The chief justice drew the attention of Government Pleader T N Rajagopalan to it and said all details have been forwarded and that she intended to take contempt action against the errant police personnel.
The chief justice orally observed that proceedings in the magistrate court were brought to a standstill for around 15 minutes owing to such disruption by police.
Noting that police cannot be allowed to enter court halls to make arrests in this manner, she insisted that they be appropriately sensitised and trained in this regard. The incident transpired on April 10 when Santhosh (29), an accused in the murder of an autorickshaw driver came with his lawyer to the judicial magistrate court in Tirupur to surrender.
But even as he was before the Magistrate, a police team from Singanallur in Coimbatore tried to arrest him forcibly. However, lawyers present there foiled the attempt.
The Tirupur Bar Association then sought action against the policemen, saying it was an offence to arrest someone coming to surrender. Santhosh, along with a few others, was accused of murdering M Citybabu at Ondipudur in Coimbatore on April 4 over the personal rivalry.
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