Date:22/08/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/22/stories/2003082210360100.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Park case: charges to be dropped against some

By Karthik Subramanian

CHENNAI AUG. 21. The city police today said they would drop charges against "some" of the persons, who were arrested in the Anna Nagar Tower Park here on August 7.

The Joint Commissioner (Central), M.K.Jha, told The Hindu that during a "re-investigation", it was determined that the charges framed by the police on August 7 could not be proved against all the arrested. The final report would be out "within the next few days" and charges would be dropped against some of the "11 persons" arrested.

On August 7, a police team arrested 10 persons on the ground that "they brought their girlfriends without the knowledge of their parents and committed indecent acts" in the park. The detained persons said they had been charged under Section 509 (act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) even while the women were allowed to leave after "their parents were informed". The names of the men, aged between 20 and 32, along with their fathers' names, street addresses and photographs, were released to the media, leading to a controversy and condemnation by civil liberties organisations. All the arrested were remanded to custody and lodged in the Vellore prison, after having been produced before the fifth metropolitan magistrate, Egmore.

The People's Union for Civil Liberties condemned the `moral policing' in the park and also the release of the photographs and details of the accused to the media.

The Deputy Commissioner (Anna Nagar), Karunasagar, said mistakes occurred in the police press release and "the girls who were caught with the men were by and large sex workers".

Mr. Jha today said the releasing of the photographs of the accused before they were convicted "was not in order" and the city police would take corrective measures.

To a specific query why the police took action in the park, the senior officer said they had received several complaints of obscene activities taking place there and they had to act suo motu.