The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court quashed the criminal case pending against a member of ‘Makkal Adhikaram’, who had participated in the 2017 anti- NEET protests in Madurai.
Justice G. Ilangovan observed that several protests, agitations and demonstrations took place against NEET in Tamil Nadu. The ‘Right to Protest’ was well recognised and the court took note of the fact that the protesters had raised slogans against NEET.
A reading of the FIR showed that slogan-shouting was not followed by any criminal or untoward instances. However, protesting without obtaining permission was not proper. The involvement of the petitioner, Anandasamy, was not properly investigated, the court said and quashed the criminal case.
