Tamil Nadu

None turns up for inquiry in students clash case

CHENNAI: Proceedings under Section 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in connection with the clash between students of two different communities on the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai, were stalled as none of the accused turned up for inquiry.

Tahsildar-cum-Executive Magistrate, Ashmath Sulthana, had issued summons to 36 students through the local police to appear before her on November 18. According to Section 107, when an Executive Magistrate receives information that any person is likely to commit a breach of peace or disturb the public tranquillity, he/she may require such a person to show cause why he should not be ordered to execute a bond (with or without sureties) for keeping the peace for such period, not exceeding one year. “The police have given it in writing that they could not serve summons on the students as some of them were absconding. While some are said to be in jail, others are in hospital. They (the police) have sought more time…about 15 days to produce the students. A revised date schedule will be issued later after consulting the authorities concerned,” Ms. Sulthana told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Cases registered against the students were divided into two groups. While Manimaran, Chithirai Selvan, Velmurugan and 24 others figured in the group of Dalit students, Bharathi Kannan, Arumugham, Ayyathurai and six others were in the Caste Hindu students’ list.

A senior official supervising the operations of the special teams formed to nab the accused involved in the clash on the campus said four prime suspects, who masterminded the attack from one side, had been taken into custody. “We have arrested Manimaran, Ravindran alias Marx, Vetrikondan and Kubendran in Cuddalore. Velmurugan and Selvakumar have surrendered in different courts. Meghanathan and Sivaraj, who surrendered in a Coimbatore court, were sent to a juvenile home in Pollachi as they were aged below 18 years,” he said, adding that a total of 26 students wanted by the police were now in custody. Investigators were considering invoking the provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, against a section of students. “Our priority now is to arrest all those involved in the group clash. There is no question of the police acting in favour of any group.” Since three accused students in one group were in the intensive care unit, they could not be arrested. “They (Caste Hindu students) will also be charged with an attempt to murder since there was a serious attack on Chithirai Selvan,” the official added.

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