Don’t impose vehicular curbs on T Nagar residents: HC to cops

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the city police not to impose any transport curbs citing Deepavali on the residents of T Nagar.

Justice V Sivagnanam passed the direction on disposing of a petition filed by the T Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association by its secretary, Kannan Balachandran.

The petitioner wanted the court to restrain the police from imposing curbs of any kind citing Deepavali 2022 on the residents of T Nagar for ingress and egress from their residences through any mode of transport. “Every year, the respondents would allow residents to be dropped at their homes if they show their ID cards. But strangely this year, despite showing ID cards, respondents have failed to permit residents to be dropped in their residence. In fact, they’re being asked to walk till their residences irrespective of the age of each resident,” the petitioner submitted.

Meanwhile, the State Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) submitted that the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic Section), St Thomas Mount, conducted an inquiry on October 15, 2022, and agreed to allow residents to be dropped in the auto if they show their residential address proof. Empty autos were not allowed.

Nevertheless, the petitioner informed the court, “The cops on duty in T Nagar are not allowing us to be dropped despite showing them our ID cards.”

Recording the submissions, the judge directed the DC (traffic section) to give proper instructions to the cops to permit T Nagar residents on showing their proof of residence and not permit only the empty auto.