Madurai
The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday ordered notice in a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the State to abolish Special Police Teams that were functioning as on date and to frame guidelines for the constitution of such teams by fixing responsibilities, duties and liabilities on the special team.
A Division Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and S. Ananthi ordered notice in the petition filed by advocate S. Muruga Ganesan, from Madurai, member of the Pattali Makkal Katchi. He alleged that a party member Sakthivel was assaulted last year by a special police team in the name of inquiry after they had thought that he was an aid of a history sheeter.
He said that Sakthivel had to be admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital. Though a complaint was lodged with the Commissioner of Police, no action has been taken so far and no inquiry has been initiated into the incident, he said.
The petitioner said that he and his team had carried out a research and they found out that 75 % of the police strength in each and every station was formed as a special team and the remaining were under tremendous pressure to execute the routine work. Due to mounting pressure they were unable to avail leave, he said.
He said that there were no guidelines or procedures from the functioning of the special police teams. In order to avoid such incidents, guidelines and procedures have to be framed and till then the Special Teams functioning as on date must be abolished, he said. He also sought a direction to the police to take appropriate action against those involved in the assault on the party member.
