Provide security to C Ve Shanmugam, HC tells police

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday quashed the Tamil Nadu government's order withdrawing the security cover provided to AIADMK MP C Ve Shanmugam.

Justice G Chandrasekharan had directed the State police to consider C Ve Shanmugam's petition seeking security cover and take a decision within eight weeks.

During the hearing, counsel KS Dinakaran representing Shanmugam contended that the former minister is being denied the right to get police protection when his life is under threat and he has been living without security cover for 18 months as the attempted murder case has reached a critical stage.

He also questioned whether the police department is waiting for any untoward incident to happen.

Responding to this, counsel Babu Muthu Meeran representing the police submitted that following the attempt to murder incident in 2006, security cover had been provided for 18 years and now the security was withdrawn based on the report given by the district police that there is no threat to former minister's life and there is no motive behind this.

It may be recalled that C Ve Shanmugam's brother-in-law was assassinated during the 2006 Assembly election time and the police protection was given to him until 2021.

However, the State government had withdrawn the police protection given