Madras HC slams TN cops for closing 124 complaints against former minister Ponmudy
Hearing a suo motu case initiated against Ponmudy, Justice P Velmurugan said the contempt case would be kept open and he would 'vigilantly watch' what the police was going to do on the matter.
'Where do you derive the powers to close these complaints after preliminary inquiry? If you think you have the right to close the complaints, the court has the rights to proceed on them,' the judge said, responding to Advocate General PS Raman's submission that the complaints were closed after preliminary investigation under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The AG also said BNSS allows the complainants to make appeals with the Inspector General (IG) concerned and the DGP. The investigating officers have found that the former minister had only spoken what was said 60 years ago and such speech would not fall under hate speech, the AG said.
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