HC directs police to grant permission for public meeting

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mylapore, to grant permission to a social outfit named Arappor Iyakkam to hold a public meeting at Mangollai on Sunday (October 8) evening. Justice MS Ramesh issued the directive while passing orders on a writ petition from the Iyakkam, by its managing trustee Jayaram Venkatesan.

According to petitioner, the Iyakkam wanted to hold a public meeting on October 8 to expose corruption in the administration. The Mylapore police, however, by an order dated October 1 refused permission on the ground that the petitioner organisation would create law and order problem under the guise of public meeting and anti-social elements might take advantage of the situation. Hence, the present petition.

Allowing the petition, Justice MS Ramesh referred to Articles 19(1)(a) and (b) of the Constitution which enshrined the right to speech and assemble peacefully to citizens, respectively. Moreover, the reasoning given by police could not be accepted for the simple reason that the department has been created only to tackle such problems.