Judge takes exception to use of his name in police circular on helmets

The bench had recently rapped the police for not registering cases against pillion riders in two-wheelers travelling without helmets. The bench had then asked as to why the police penalised only two-wheeler riders for not wearing helmets while the Motor Vehicles Act and rule framed under it require both the rider as well as the pillion riders to wear helmets.

Following this, the DGP, Tamil Nadu in a circular dated August 23, said, “Justice S Manikumar, bench of Madras High Court seriously viewed for not registering helmet cases against pillion riders and for not creating awareness. Hence, all unit officers are instructed to book more number of helmet cases against pillion riders from today...”

When the case came up for hearing before the bench on Friday, Justice Manikumar on citing the circular doing its rounds on WhatsApp, which he had received from a friend sought to know the rationale behind using his name in a circular and asking the police to book a greater number of cases against pillion riders for his sake.

While the Additional Advocate General Arvindh Pandian apologised, the judge said that he ought to record this circular in his order. However, the judge on running through the availability of insurance for pillion riders adjourned the case to Monday for further hearing.