Kidnapping case: SC grills TN govt over senior cop's suspension post HC directive
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday grilled the Tamil Nadu government over the suspension of Additional Director General of Police H.M. Jayaram, who was directed to be arrested by the Madras High Court.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan was informed by the state government’s counsel that the officer was taken into custody and released on Tuesday at around 5:00 pm.
Jayaram's counsel submitted that he was released by the police but the government had suspended him.
"He is a senior police officer. Where was the requirement for you to put him under suspension? These kinds of orders are shocking and demoralising," the bench remarked.
The top court told the TN government counsel to seek instructions on the matter and come back on June 19 for revoking his suspension.
Jayaram moved the apex court against the high court June 16 directive asking the police to arrest him.
His lawyer contended that the Madras High Court's order was "based on a confessional statement".
Jayaram's plea filed through advocate Rajesh Singh Chauhan further contested the high court directive saying it was passed without "assigning any detailed reasons" while relying upon the purported statements of two accused persons.
The officer claimed he had not moved the high court for any relief and was directed to appear before the court on June 16 in the anticipatory bail application of an accused person.
"The high court failed to take note of the fact that it is the prerogative of the investigating officer to arrest the accused and the impugned order passed by the high court failed to take note of this critical fact and also the fact that the petitioner within a short period of notice not being more than three hours voluntarily appeared before the high court on the directions issued by the high court," the plea said.
The high court's direction overlooked the fact that he is a serving police officer in the grade of an additional director general of police (ADGP) and an IPS officer with 28 years' of experience, the plea argued.
The high court orally directed Tamil Nadu Police to take Jayaram in custody in connection with a kidnapping case in which a girl ran away with a boy on April 5.
Jayaram was detained after he came out of the court building.
Justice P Velmurugan of the high court passed the order while hearing an anticipatory bail application filed by MLA M Jagan Moorthy, who apprehended arrest in the case.
The lawmaker from Puthiya Bharatham Katchi party represents Kilvaithinankuppam (SC) constituency in the state's Vellore district.
When the matter came up for hearing on June 16, the judge summoned Moorthy and Jayaram, whose official car was allegedly used for the kidnapping, to appear before the court in the afternoon.
They both appeared in the court following which the judge noted the confessions of the accused against the ADGP and ordered his arrest.
The matter in the high court is scheduled to come up on June 26.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
