Chennai: Senior police officers, however, refused to term it as a ban on FoP, but clarified that the government is withdrawing its support to the movement which had joint governmental organisation status since 1994. The then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, impressed by the concept ideated by IPS officer Prateep V Philip, through a GO, had sanctioned permission to set up the FoP across the state. The FoP’s role in the Sathankulam custodial deaths is being probed as it was alleged that a few FoP volunteers were involved in the alleged torture of father and son duo Jayaraj and Bennix, who died later.