HC moved to release innocents in Kallakurichi school violence

CHENNAI: A Madurai-based advocate named Rathinam approached the Madras High Court for releasing several innocent youths who were arrested on charges of indulging in violence and vandalizing a private school in Kaniyamoor village in Kallakurichi district after the suspicious death of a higher secondary school girl.

A division bench of Madras HC comprising Justice S Vaidyanathan and Justice AD Jagadish Chandira is to hear the matter on Monday.

The petitioner advocate said in his affidavit that the police had arrested so many youths in Kaniyamoor and surrounding villages under the guise of arresting the accused who were involved in violence on July 17 as well as for vandalizing the school properties.

Rathinam wanted to identify the innocents who were arrested in the case. He further prayed for a direction to give compensation to such innocents.

He also flagged that several of the youths are unable to get legal assistance in the case. The petitioner pleaded for a direction to the district magistrate to assign legal assistance through the district legal services authority.

The petitioner also alleged that a female school teacher who was arrested in connection with the death of the school girl is under judicial custody in Salem prison where the school’s secretary is also under incarceration. “As the school teacher was threatened by certain people, it is necessary to shift her to some other prison considering her security, ” the petitioner noted.