High Court violence: Shoot at sight orders in TN

Shoot at sight orders have been issued in Tamil Nadu in a bid to prevent the lawyers agitation from spreading to the districts while a top police official was transferred as sporadic violence continued across the state today.

Shoot at sight orders have been issued in Tamil Nadu in a bid to prevent the lawyers agitation from spreading to the districts while a top police official was transferred as sporadic violence continued across the state on Saturday.

HT Image

With anti-social elements using the lawyers’ agitation as an excuse to damage public property and burn vehicles, the DGP’s office issued the orders last night.

District SP’s have been empowered to carry out the order, a release issued by the DGP office said last night, adding action would be taken against those who try to damage vehicles or involve in other illegal activities, it said.

In the wake of the clashes between police and advocates in the court premises, Joint Commissioner (Chennai North) M Ramasubramani, under whose jurisdiction the Madras High Court comes, has been transferred.

Ramasubramani has been posted as DIG Railways. He has been replaced by S N Seshasayee, DIG Railways, sources said adding the transfers were effected late last night.

Chennai Police, meanwhile, registered FIRs against a number of persons who set on fire a jeep belonging to the Fire and Rescue Services Department here, under various sections of IPC, including arsoning, rioting and assaulting public servants.

registered against around 150 advocates in connection with the February 19 clashes between advocates, agitating on Sri Lankan issue, and police over arrest of some lawyers accused of assaulting Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy in the court.

Sporadic incidents of violence were reported last night at Cuddalore, where the funeral procession of a Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi worker who committed self-immolation calling for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka turned violent.

A number of government buses and an ATM centre were damaged in the violence.

Meanwhile, some media personnel covering the clashes for the last two days complained of assault and abusive behaviour from agitating lawyers.

City Police Commissioner K Radhakrishnan told PTI that some journalists, who were allegedly assaulted by advocates, have also complained. The commissioner has promised them that “appropriate action” would be taken.