The Madras High Court on Thursday empathised with the family of a farmer who was beaten to death by a special sub-inspector of police in Salem on Tuesday. It, however, said the incident could not be used to paint the entire police force as brutal and barbaric.
When the second Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and T.V. Thamilselvi commenced their proceedings for the day, advocate R. Krishnamoorthy sought permission to make a mention and cited the death of the farmer after the latter quarrelled with the police under the influence of alcohol.
When the senior judge in the Bench pointed out that the government appeared to have paid solatium to the family, the advocate, facing suo motu contempt of court proceedings for accusing Justice M. Dhandapani of being biased in favour of the police in another case booked against a woman lawyer, said the police “atrocities” were increasing day by day.
Not in agreement with him, Justice Kirubakaran said: “Don't say that. The police are only discharging their duty by questioning people who violate [COVID-19] lockdown restrictions. But people consider themselves to be powerful than the police and the government and enter into wordy duel with the men in uniform. Most of them don't obey law.”
Referring to recent videos in circulation in the social media of lawyers threatening to strip policemen of their uniform on being questioned for violating lockdown restrictions, the judge said: “It is unfortunate that you behave like this. Other than the black robe, what is the shield you have? Do people of any other profession behave like this?”
Pointing out that the nomenclature lawyer itself contained the word law, the judge said: “You should be the first to obey law scrupulously. You should be a role model to others. Can you think of a society without law enforcers? Can you think of travelling on a busy road without traffic policemen even for an hour? We are dependent on them because we lack the sense of responsibility. We don’t follow rules,” the judge added.
At the same time agreeing that the death of the farmer was certainly an unfortunate incident and such aberration should be avoided by the police, the judge said the issue would be looked into if the advocate files an appropriate petition.
