The Madras High Court Bench here on Friday sought the response of the State government to a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Director-General of Police and the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) to take stringent action against “unruly women protesters” who vandalise liquor shops run by the corporation and damage government properties.
A Division Bench comprising Justices A. Selvam and N. Authinathan directed Special Government Pleader (SGP) M. Govindan and Tasmac standing counsel M. Muniasamy to take notice on behalf of the official respondents mentioned in the PIL petition filed by Madurai based activist K.K. Ramesh.
The petitioner claimed that no one had the right to take law into their hands and cause damage to public property. In his affidavit, the petitioner said that 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.
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Stating that such incidents had been occurring in almost all the districts, he claimed that public properties worth several lakhs were damaged. Accusing the government of not acting against the protesters, he said that the latter could not indulge in violent acts.