MHC fines a petitioner sought police protection to conduct "Aadal Padal"

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) imposed Rs 25,000 as a fine on a person who sought before the court to direct the police to grant police protection for the cultural program celebrating Christmas.

Petitioner Prakash moved MHC seeking to direct the police to grant permission to conduct a cultural program for celebrating Christmas.

The case was listed before Justice G Jayachandran. The petitioner submitted that more than 200 residents from Periyapuliyur Village, Erode District constituted a committee to conduct a cultural program to celebrate Christmas on the eve of December 25. As a president of the committee represented before the police granting permission to conduct a cultural program (Aadal Padal) at CSI Church, MGR Nagar, Periyapuliyur and it was denied, said the petitioner.

The counsel appeared for the police and submitted that the permission request was denied to upkeep the public order.

After the perusal of the materials, the judge observed that being a CSI Church, there is a hierarchy of management, if any program is to be conducted, the request must be emanated from the appropriate person and not by some third party as the petitioner in this instant case.

It is very clear that the petitioner is an individual who wants to collect contributions from the public for which he seeks police protection and it was rightly declined by the police, observed the judge, and dismissed the petition.

The court also imposed Rs. 25,000 as a fine on the petitioner for approaching the court to facilitate illegal collection, which is a total abuse of the law, wrote the judge. Further, the court also directed the Erode collector to take action to recover the money from the petitioner, if non-compliance of court order.