The Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to direct Commissioner of Police, Chennai city, to issue a no-objection certificate to film director V. Gowthaman to attend St. Anthony Church festival at Katchatheevu on Friday and Saturday. The court, however, adjourned his petition to the first week of April to decide the larger question as to whether those facing criminal cases, for having protested for the cause of Tamils, could be granted such NoCs.
Justice M.S. Ramesh said that he was not inclined to issue a direction as sought for by the petitioner since prima facie there appeared to be some reasonableness in the apprehension of the police that his visit to Katchatheevu, an island ceded to Sri Lanka in 1976 and which remains to be a contentious place till date, may not be appropriate since he was involved in as many as three cases. “There is nothing wrong on the part of the police in taking precautions,” he said.
Though the petitioner’s counsel contended that he had a fundamental right to liberty which included free movement, the judge said such right was always subject to reasonable restrictions. On the contention that the jurisdiction of Tamil Nadu police could not extend up to Katchatheevu, Mr. Justice Ramesh said that they, however, had the authority to issue NOCs and therefore it was well within their jurisdiction to refuse to issue such a certificate.
