Former Additional Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan has said that the then Chennai Police Commissioner, K. Radhakrishnan, was solely responsible for the police-lawyers clash on the High Court campus on February 19 last year.
Mr. Viswanathan has submitted this in his proof affidavit before a Division Bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justices F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla and R. Banumathi, which had initiated contempt proceedings against Mr. Viswanathan, Mr. Radhakrishnan, the then Joint Commissioner of Police, North, M. Ramasubramani and Deputy Commissioner, Flower Bazaar, Premanand Sinha, in connection with the incidents.
He said, “I have reason to believe that the vigilance enquiry was ordered against me in order to compel the other police officers to support the false report and false affidavits filed by Thiru Radhakrishnan before this court.”
Mr. Viswanathan said he had trusted the then Commissioner and obeyed his orders. Had he known that the then Acting Chief Justice had ordered the withdrawal of the police force from the premises, he would have obeyed his orders. Unaware of the court orders, he had believed the Commissioner and obeyed his orders. Arumugaperumal Adityan, who was then a High Court Judge, and others sustained injuries only after Mr. Radhakrishnan arrived with additional reinforcements and resorted to lathi-charge.
He submitted that Mr. Ramasubramani and Mr. Premanand Sinha were also not responsible for the incidents. “Thiru Radhakrishnan alone is solely responsible for the incidents.” When the matter came up before the Bench, K.M. Vijayan, senior counsel for Mr. Radhakrishnan, mentioned that he was seeking transfer of the contempt proceedings to another Bench. Mr. Radhakrishnan had already submitted a letter to the Chief Justice in this regard.
Tamil Nadu Advocates Association president S. Prabakaran objected to the request for transfer and said the court had already issued contempt notice.
Adjourning the matter to June 11, Mr. Justice Kalifulla said he was giving an opportunity to counsel to move the Chief Justice in the matter.
