CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has restrained striking employees of the JIPMER in Puducherry from organising strike, dharna or any other form of agitation within the premises of the institution.

A Division Bench comprising Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice S. Tamilvanan granted the interim injunction on a writ petition filed by K.M.S. Devodasan. The order would be in operation for two weeks.

Referring to the petitioner's submission that thousands of inpatients and outpatients had been affected by the agitation and doctors were being prevented from attending to patients, the Judges said: "Though JIPMER Anti-Conversion Action Committee and JIPMER Staff Struggle Committee are entitled to highlight their grievance in a peaceful manner, the patients cannot be put to inconvenience."

The petitioner said a civil court had granted an injunction against the strike, but it had not been enforced.

Though the Centre had discussed the matter with the employees and agreed to implement all their demands, the strike was intensified.

He said the public grievance was not against the agitation, but against activities such as preventing doctors and nurses from discharging their duties and intimidating patients from entering the hospital for treatment. He sought an order directing the Inspector-General of Police, Puducherry, to remove the agitators from the JIPMER premises and surrounding areas to enable the public to have free access to the hospital and the doctors.

The Bench, citing a Delhi High Court order, said thousands of patients were not in a position to obtain treatment at the JIPMER due to the "agitation and the obstruction." Convinced that some safeguards had to be made for patients, the Judges issued notices to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Puducherry Government and the striking unions, returnable by September 27.

Our Puducherry Staff

Reporter writes:

Twenty-six striking employees of JIPMER have been suspended for violating a local court order barring them from staging agitation within the campus.

President of the Staff Struggle Committee Arochim Kalaimathi told The Hindu that they had received suspension orders of 26 employees.

They were expecting suspension orders of another 45.

When contacted, JIPMER Director K.S.V.K Subba Rao said: "We cannot give the exact numbers. We are taking disciplinary action for violating the court order."

He said the general secretary of the struggle committee was informed last week about the Additional Munsif Court order.

Earlier in the day, around 1000 persons, including the striking employees and leaders of political parties opposed to the autonomy move were arrested when they tried to demonstrate in front of the administrative block.

Those arrested included CPI (M) leader T. Murugan and AIADMK leader A. Anbalagan. They were released later.

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