MADURAI
A public interest litigation petitioner, K. Kathiresan of Madurai, who had filed a case in the Madras High Court Bench here against two-year extension of service granted to Director General of Police T.K. Rajendran, has filed a sub-application seeking Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) protection to him and his family members.
The petitioner’s lawyer, A. Kannan, too had filed an identical sub-application seeking CRPF protection to him since both of them apprehended danger to their lives for having filed the case against the DGP. Alleging that he was being stalked by “suspicious persons,” the petitioner said his movements were being monitored closely.
Further, pointing out that he had filed the PIL petition on the basis of a gutkha scam that took place during Mr. Rajendran’s tenure as Commissioner of Police, Chennai city, Mr. Kathiresan said: “The DGP who is having more power and subordinate officers at his disposal and their unholy alliances may do any harm to me and my family members.
“I assure and affirm that if any untoward incident happens to me or to my family members in any form or in any manner, this affidavit may kindly be treated as my dying declaration and the incumbent DGP and also his unholy alliance shall be held responsible for any harm done to me and to my family members.”
In his sub-application, Mr. Kannan said he had already been provided with unarmed police protection since 2015 due to life threat for having appeared in a case challenging the appointment of 83 Group I service officers. Nevertheless, he claimed that the present security cover was not reliable since it came under the direct control of the DGP.
The two sub-applications have been listed for hearing, along with the main PIL petition, before a Division Bench of Justices K.K. Sasidharan and G.R. Swaminathan on Wednesday when the Income Tax department had been ordered to submit the incriminating documents seized by it from a gutkha manufacturer in Chennai last year.
The PIL petitioner had alleged that the documents revealed payment of bribe to the tune of ₹39.91 crore to a State Minister, top police officials and others for permitting manufacture and sale of gutkha in Chennai city in violation of a ban.
