CHENNAI : The Madras High Court will pass orders on Wednesday on a public interest litigation petition alleging that Fisheries Minister K.P.P. Swamy and his kin were intimidating residents of K.V.K. Kuppam near Tiruvottiyur and preventing them from entering the village.

When the matter came up before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K. Chandru on Tuesday, senior counsel A.L. Somayaji said 130 residents of the fishing hamlet had filed separate affidavits detailing the harassment suffered by them at the hands of the Minister's kin. He said they were not permitted to enter the village and the perpetrators had attacked two women. "But the police tell the court that nothing wrong has taken place there and that everything is alright," he said.

The Bench said it would appoint a District Judge to probe the issue and, if needed, it would also order a permanent police outpost to ensure security of the villagers. It then said orders would be passed on Wednesday.

In his petition, K. Anjappan of K.V.K. Kuppam said they the villagers were being harassed as most of them had not voted for the DMK in the last Assembly elections.

He alleged that since Mr. Swamy was a Minister, the local police as well as higher officials did not respond to their complaints; he said the police was a "mute spectator" to the atrocities and had failed in its duty. He alleged that several houses had been destroyed and the villagers were forced to stay away from their homes.

Interim compensation

The petitioner sought interim compensation of Rs. 1 lakh and final damages of Rs. 5 lakh, besides deployment of paramilitary forces for security. He also sought an impartial inquiry by a retired Judge of the High Court into the complaints.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail