Madras High Court quashes police notice to journalist, says summons without FIR is illegal
Chennai: The Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench has set aside a police notice issued to journalist Vimal Chinnappan, ruling that the police had no authority to summon or question him in the absence of a registered criminal case. The court held that the action violated established legal procedure and amounted to an abuse of power.
While allowing a petition filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Justice Sunder Mohan, quashed the notice dated October 26, 2025. It had been issued by the Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Srivilliputhur Sub Division in Virudhunagar district under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The judge also observed that Section 35 of the BNSS only outlines the circumstances under which a police officer may arrest a person without a warrant. He also noted that it does not empower the police to summon or question an individual when no case has been registered against them.
According to a Maktoob Media report, the police had claimed that the notice was connected to an investigation in a criminal case registered in 2023 involving offences under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. However, during the proceedings, it was acknowledged by the State that the investigation in that case had already been completed and a final report had been filed before the Special Court for SC/ST cases in Virudhunagar.
According to the police, while examining the 2023 case, they came across an article written by the petitioner and published in a journal, which they alleged contained defamatory remarks against the police. Based on this, the Deputy Superintendent of Police issued a notice to the journalist, listing twelve questions and seeking an explanation for his writing.
The petitioner opposed the notice, claiming that it failed to describe the criminal number to which it referred. The petitioner also noted that it did not specify whether he was being summoned as an accused, witness, or suspect. He further stated that even if the article was believed to be defamatory, the police could not interview him without first filing a separate case, especially as defamation actions against the police may only be commenced through a private complaint to a competent court.
The High Court noted that most of the questions in the notice were centred on the contents of the article and were unrelated to the concluded 2023 investigation. Justice Sunder Mohan observed that if the police sought to question the petitioner in connection with any other matter, they were legally bound to clearly mention the details of a registered case. In the absence of any such case, the notice lacked legal foundation.
Setting aside the notice, the court clarified that its order would not prevent the police from taking action in accordance with the law in the future and stated that if a valid criminal case is registered and the petitioner’s presence is required for investigation, the police would be free to proceed as permitted by law.
The petitioner was represented by advocate R. Karunanidhi, while the State was represented by Government Advocate K. Sanjai Gandhi.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
