MADURAI : The State Government on Wednesday objected to stay the conviction of suspended Superintendent of Police, K. Premkumar, in an assault case.

Opposing a petition filed by him, the Advocate General R. Vidudhalai said that the officer had been committing "crimes after crimes" right from the day he joined service as a sub-inspector of police.

The Additional District and Sessions Judge in Madurai convicted him on July 11, 2003 for attacking an ex-serviceman during the course of an enquiry in 1982. However, the court released him without imposing any punishment under the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958.

Thereafter, the officer continued in service and he was also the investigating officer in a murder case against Sri Jayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Mutt during the erstwhileAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government.

But, after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam came to power, the Home Secretary, on September 1, 2006, issued a show cause notice to him seeking explanation as to why he should not be removed from service since he was convicted in the assault case.

Immediately, Mr. Premkumar moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court to stay the conviction.

In the meantime, he was also suspended from service on the ground that he attempted to influence some of the witnesses in the case against the head of Kanchi Mutt. When the stay petition came up for hearing before Justice M. Jeyapaul, the Advocate General said that it would be against public interest to stay the conviction, because the officer with bad antecedents did not deserve a place in the police department. The AG said that the officer was accused in a few other cases too.

On the contrary, Mr. Premkumar's counsel said that the charges in the assault case were not serious and the Government could not choose to remove him from service after the passage of more than three years since the conviction. After hearing the arguments, the Judge said that the orders on the matter would be pronounced on Thursday.

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