The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Police booths on platforms, junctions not encroachment, says High Court

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Friday, Mar 02, 2007
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Police booths on platforms, junctions not encroachment, says High Court

Special Correspondent

Division Bench dismisses writ petition "We are unable to accept the claim made by the petitioner"

CHENNAI: Police outposts/booths on platforms and junctions with limited pedestrian and vehicle movement cannot be construed as encroachment, the Madras High Court has said.

Dismissing a writ petition seeking to remove a police booth, a Division Bench comprising Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar said it was set up to tackle law and order problems, eve-teasing, chain-snatching and other menace.

Petitioner Rabinder Boaz said the booth on the pavement in front of his property at Mandavelipakkam in Chennai should be removed and electricity connection disconnected.

Chennai City Commissioner of Police filed a counter-affidavit, stating that Chennai city had 360 police booths apart from 119 regular police stations.

They were established at the request of local residents and helped the police to monitor law and order problems round the clock. It further stated that the outpost in question was located in an unobjectionable place and almost all local residents had welcomed the initiative.

"It is common practice in all metropolitan cities to locate police booths in strategic places as well as in crime-prone areas, and such installation cannot be construed as an encroachment of public place." Accepting the explanation, the Bench said: "We are unable to accept the claim made by the petitioner. We are also of the view that location of police booths in the place in question cannot be construed as an encroachment by the police department. Admittedly, the land belongs to the Chennai Corporation."

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