CHENNAI: The First Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Director-General of Police to ensure that incidents such as rallies, dharnas, meetings and protests in which actresses Kushboo and Suhasini were burnt in effigy did not recur.

In its order on a petition filed by lawyer A.P. Suryaprakasam, the Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla directed the DGP to file a reply to the petition and submit a report indicating the police action against the protesters. The Bench posted the matter to December 2.

"Illegal rallies"

In his petition, Mr. Suryaprakasam said he was convener of the Association of Indian Lawyers against Corruption and Oppression and was acting in public interest.

For the past two months, some groups were taking out "illegal rallies, conducting protest meetings in busy national and state highways and holding demonstrations in public places with donkeys and broomsticks and chappals in their hands, beating the effigies of Ms. Kushboo and Ms. Suhasini."

They caused hindrance to the public and endangered their safety.

The petitioner said the police were mute spectators to the "unlawful demonstration."

Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of expression and it could not be "held to ransom by an intolerant group of people."

The highest court of the land had underlined the State's duty to protect freedom of expression.

Even if an opinion expressed was illegal or defamatory, the courts were there to render justice to the affected and punish the guilty. No law permitted anyone to openly burn the actresses in effigy in public places, abuse them and beat their portraits with sandals.

The petitioner said he had sent a complaint on November 17 to the DGP (respondent) requesting criminal action against the violators of law.

But the respondent failed to take action. He sought an interim direction to the police.

Meanwhile, Justice T.V. Masilamani of the Madras High Court stayed for four weeks, further proceedings against Ms. Kushboo in four more cases.

The cases were pending in courts at Dharmapuri, Mayiladuthurai and Ambattur.

Her appearance before the trial court was also dispensed with.

Summons to Suhasini

Our Tirupur Staff Reporter reports:

A Tirupur judicial magistrate court on Thursday issued summons to actress Suhasini to appear before it on December 15, on a private complaint filed by a Pattali Makkal Katchi functionary.

Judicial Magistrate II T. Bhagavathi Ammal issued the summons after registering the oral evidence by V. Amirthavalli.

Ms. Amirthavalli's husband and party's state vice-president C. Vadivel Goundar gave his statement as a witness.

The complainant sought to punish the actress for making provocative statements with an intention of causing riot and enmity between different groups.

She alleged that Ms. Suhasini's statement had tarnished the image of the Tamils.

Ms. Suhasini's support to Ms. Kushboo would lead to more cases of HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Vadivel Goundar said as a father of a girl, he was disturbed by Ms. Suhasini's views, as the bridegroom's parents would seek medical certificate on his daughter's virginity at the time of wedding.

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