The Madras High Court Bench here on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation petition that had sought a direction to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Director General of Police and Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) to take stringent action against “unruly women protesters” who vandalised liquor shops run by the corporation and damaged government properties.
A Division Bench comprising Justices K.K. Sasidharan and G.R. Swaminathan dismissed the case after observing that it was up to the government machinery to initiate appropriate action against the protesters.
Madurai-based activist K.K. Ramesh had filed the PIL on the ground that no one had the right to take law into their hands and cause damage to public property.
In his affidavit, the petitioner said news reports of women damaging liquor shops in their localities had become a common phenomenon ever since the Supreme Court recently ordered closure of liquor shops and bars situated within 500 metres from roads declared as highways.
Stating that such incidents had been occurring in almost all the districts, he claimed that public properties worth several lakhs of rupees had been damaged.
Accusing the State government of not acting against the protesters, he said the protesters could not indulge in violent acts instead of making representations to the Collectors concerned or approaching the High Court to close down the liquor shops in their localities.
He also alleged that some political parties in the State were abetting the locals, especially women, to indulge in such violent activities.
