The Madras High Court is slated to hear on Friday a public interest litigation (PIL) petition on fixing working hours for all restaurants, eateries and other commercial establishments in the city depending upon the classification of different localities in order to control the criminal activities during night hours.
A Division Bench of Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad would be hearing the PIL petition in which it had already permitted Chennai Hotels Association to get impleaded. The association had opposed the move to fix working hours and questioned the authority of the Corporation and the police to do so.
It was in October that the Bench had suggested that the Corporation and the city police jointly draw a comprehensive plan categorising different localities depending upon their residential or commercial characteristics and then fix the working hours for eateries, restaurants, shops and other commercial establishments in those localities.
The suggestion was made to Additional Government Pleader E. Manoharan and subsequently, a joint meeting of the Corporation as well as police officials was held on October 25. Deputy Commissioner of Police M.S. Muthusamy suggested that all commercial establishments in the city be closed by midnight.
Law and order problem
His view was that public movement could not be controlled if commercial establishments were allowed to function beyond 12 a.m. and it would be difficult to thwart incidents such as chain snatching and robbery.
He was of the view that no special permission should be given. Thus, it was tentatively decided that shops in residential areas should be closed by 11 p.m., those in semi-residential areas at 12 a.m. and in commercial areas they could be allowed to function till 1 a.m.
It was also decided to place the minutes of the meeting before the Division Bench and obtain its approval. However, the Chennai Hotels Association got hold of the minutes and challenged it before a single judge of the court, through its counsel Vijayan Subramanian and the case was still pending adjudication.