Date:09/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/09/stories/2008120954150400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Law students allowed to collect belongings from hostel

Special Correspondent

Order applicable only to students who are outside custody: High Court

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday permitted bona fide students staying in the law college men’s hostel here to collect their books and belongings from the hostel.

This followed a petition by K.S.Kanagaraj, secretary of the Students Federation of India, Tamil Nadu State Committee, in which he submitted that hostel inmates had left their books, hall tickets and clothes in their rooms as they had to vacate immediately after the November 12 incident at the Dr.Ambedkar Government Law College here.

He submitted that students who were not involved in the incident may be permitted to enter their rooms and take back their books, hall tickets and clothes to enable them to write their examinations.

In its order, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.K.Ganguly and Justice K.Chandru granted permission to only bona fide students to go to the hostel. They must first obtain permission of the college authorities, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday and between 10 a.m. and 12 noon on Tuesday to collect their books and other belongings.

The Bench said the order was applicable only to students who were outside custody.

Meanwhile, the Bench did not exercise its jurisdiction in the matter of extension of time to file affidavits before the Justice P.Shanmugam Commission of Inquiry, appointed to go into the law college incident here.

Disposing of a petition filed by D.Asenthamani, a fifth year student of the college, the Bench said the Commission had the power to regulate its own procedure.

It was for the Commission to consider the petitioner’s representation seeking extension of time from December 8 to January 31.

The petitioner said if the last date was extended, the affected students and others would be able to effectively assist the Commission in its task.