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Journalism of Courage
The Madras High Court held four top police officers,including then City Police Commissioner K Radhakrishnan,as “squarely responsible” for the February 19 police-lawyers clash in which several advocates and police personnel were injured.
A division bench of the court said the state government could exercise its discretion in the matter of suspending the officers pending disciplinary action against them.
The century-old Madras High court premises had virtually turned into a war zone when large number of advocates,agitating on Sri Lankan Tamils issue,clashed with police over arrest of some lawyers accused of assaulting Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy.
A judge,many police personnel and advocates,including some women,were injured in stone-throwing incidents and the subsequent lathicharge by police.
The specially constituted bench said the Tamil Nadu government could use its discretion and suspend the four officers pending disciplinary action against them to ensure “fair and unbiased” proceedings.
The bench,comprising Justices F M Ibrahim Kalifullah and R Bhanumathi,also held that they were guilty of contempt of court for committing excesses in the High court premises and causing damage to court property,among other things.
Besides Radhakrishnan,Additional Commissioner A K Viswanathan,then Joint Commissioner (North) M Ramasubramani and then Deputy Commissioner,Flower Bazaar,Prem Anand Sinha were indicted.
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