Goondas Act being misused, allege activists

The argument that the city police had put forward to detain activists, K Thirumurugan Gandhi, D Arun Kumar, M Dyson and Jagan alias Ilamaran, under the Goondas Act were found to be flimsy and undemocratic, they alleged.

However, city police say that these activists were trouble-makers and have the potential to disrupt public order. “They did disrupt public order on the Marina. They damaged the bus and vehicles. There were several such cases registered against all the four earlier and they have the potential to do it again,” Commissioner of Police AK Viswanathan, while defending the decision to detain these activists under Goondas Act, told DTNext. 

Police claimed that Thirumurugan had 21 cases, but all of them were recorded under Sections 143, 188 (unlawful assembly) of the CrPC and 151 (preventive arrests). These were the sections police use to arrest and remove protesters. 

In the case of Thirumurugan and three others, police seem to have gone a step ahead and detained them under the Goondas Act. 

Goondas Act could be used against anyone who creates a law and order problem and disturbs public order, Viswanathan said.