SilverLine project: Police unlikely to withdraw cases against protesters

T'PURAM: Though the government has decided to stop the stone-laying process for marking the alignment and conducting the survey for SilverLine project, the around 300 cases that have already been registered in connection with the protests against the project are unlikely to be withdrawn by the police.
Police had registered cases against over 500 persons in districts across the state in connection with the protest against laying stones for the project. The cases were registered under various sections for destruction of public properties, causing hindrance to official duty etc.
Since the government decided on Monday that the social impact survey for the project need not be continued by forcibly laying survey stones, the Silverline-Virudha Janakeeya Samiti and opposition had asked the government to immediately withdraw the cases registered in connection with the protesters. The opposition felt that the protests were conducted in a democratic manner.
However, sources said that the police will go ahead with the cases and submit the chargesheet unless the government decides to withdraw the cases. Sources also said that if all cases are withdrawn, it would only fuel such protests against any project and there would be no law and order.
However, it is the government's decision to initiate steps for withdrawing the case or going ahead with it. In February last year, the government had decided to withdraw cases that aren't criminal in nature and were registered in connection with Sabarimala protests and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. On the basis of this decision, the government had instructed the state police chief, all collectors and district police chiefs to take necessary action in this regard.