Petitioners in HC object to involving kids in anti-CAA stir

“Section 83 (2) of the Juvenile Justice Act says that bringing children to protests is a punishable offence which attracts imprisonment up to seven years with a maximum penalty of Rs 5 lakh,” said senior advocate S Prabakaran, who appeared for a petitioner seeking to stall the protest.

A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Krishnan Ramasamy resumed the hearing in a batch of PIL petitions filed by supporters of anti-CAA protests and people who are opposing the protest on Tuesday.

Prabakaran contended that the protestors who claim that it was their fundamental right to protest were affecting the rights of other people to move freely.

“Even after the court issued an interim order directing the state police to ensure that no protests both in pro and anti-CAA are to be permitted without prior permission, it is still going on in Tamil Nadu. And people are also using abusive language during the stir,” Prabakaran added.

Opposing Prabakaran’s contention, State Public Prosecutor A Natarajan said, “There are women and children on protest site and there is no place for any forcible eviction.”

Counsels appearing against the anti-CAA protests concluded the arguments on Tuesday and those supporting the anti-CAA protests are set to argue on Friday.

The issue pertains to a batch of pleas seeking to stall anti-CAA protests happening across the state. On March 5, the division bench passed an interim order directing the state police to ensure that no protests are permitted. However, a section of lawyers submitted that the order might be used to take adverse actions against peaceful protestors. Recording the submissions, the bench adjourned the hearing to March 21.