The Madras High Court on Monday expressed its strong displeasure over the ‘hostile’ treatment meted out by the State government to retired Inspector General of Police A.G. Ponn Manickavel, who was appointed as a special officer by the court to probe all idol theft cases across the State.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and P.D. Audikesavalu also called for a report from the State government by June on the infrastructural facilities provided to him. They were piqued by the insistence of the State government that he should seek assistance from higher officials.
The government told the court that the Supreme Court had made it clear that the special officer cannot work in isolation and would have to report to an Additional Director General of Police, who was heading the Idol Wing-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the State.
Therefore, whatever grievances he had with respect to provision of infrastructural facilities should be sorted out by him after meeting the higher officials concerned, the court was told.
However, advocate ‘Elephant’ G. Rajendran told the court that the government was treating the special officer as its enemy.