Madurai
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday adjourned the anticipatory bail plea of documentary film-maker and lawyer K. Divya.
Justice G. R. Swaminathan adjourned the case to July 16. Divya is known for her critically acclaimed documentary, ‘Kakkoos,’ on the plight of manual scavengers.
The State earlier submitted before the court that Divya was booked under Section 153 A ( Promoting enmity between different groups ) by Gudalur police of the Nilgiris district. The court, taking note of the submission, said that the case arose within the principal seat in Chennai, which the petitioner could approach for relief. However, the case would be kept pending before the High Court Bench so that no action would be initiated against her by any police in the State.
K. Divya alleged harassment by a team of police personnel. She said that following the release of the trailer of her upcoming documentary ‘Orutharum Varala’ which focused on the plight of the victims of Cyclone Ockhi, at least 15 police personnel had searched her house without a warrant. Only her father and husband were present at the house.
On hearing the news, Divya, who was at Perambalur at the time of the incident, returned to Madurai district court. She was again approached by policemen dressed in plain clothes and asked her to accompany them for an inquiry. When she insisted on knowing the identity of the police, it was revealed that they belonged to the Salem city police. She claimed that if not for the advocates present on the campus, she would have been apprehended by the police.
She said that she had filed the anticipatory bail petition before the High Court Bench as she feared that she would be illegally taken into custody by the police. She also feared that this was a move to prevent her from making socially relevant short films.