“Rights bodies holding kangaroo courts?’’

How many human rights organisations are in the country and in Tamil Nadu? What are their activities? Is it a fact these organisations are conducting ‘kangaroo courts’ to settle disputes and extracting money from the public?

These are among the series of questions Justice N.Kirubakaran of the Madras High Court posed to the DGP to respond by March 16.

A petition by J.Suyambulingam, Secretary, Suyambulingam Primary School, Puliyangudi in Tirunelveli district prompted the Judge to raise the questions.

A human rights organisation wrote to the Additional Assistant Educational Officer (AAEO), Vasudevanallur in February last year stating it conducted an inspection of the institution in September 2013 and found that the salary of a teacher had not been paid. Therefore, it called upon the AAEO to look into the matter.

The official had also said the school had given an undertaking to pay the salary. The school did not pay the sum. Hence, the organisation called upon the AAEO again to look into the matter. The school filed a complaint, but the police did not act. Hence, the present petition.

Mr.Justice Kirubakaran observed that it was curious to note that the Education Department official acted on the organisation’s complaint. He had called upon the school to explain what action had been taken on the complaint.

It was alleged that several human rights organisations were blackmailing officials and the public. They were conducting a parallel administration and ‘kangaroo courts’ using persons with questionable background. The organisations were using judges’ names on the cars also, to keep policemen at bay.

The Judge also wanted to know whether the use of judges and bureaucrats’ names by the organisations were with their consent or not, whether the organisations were getting foreign funds or contribution and if so, whether they were submitting their accounts to the authorities’ regularly.

The Judge said the Inspector-General of Police, in an affidavit, had said about 170 cases had been registered against organisations claiming to be ‘human rights organisation.’ However, he was sore that the queries raised by him during the hearing in December last year had not been answered.

High Court’s poser

to DGP