MHC directs TN to file a report on people's safety in public places

CHENNAI: The Chief Justice of the Madras High Court SV Gangapurwala, on Tuesday, directed the Tamil Nadu government and Railway department to file a report on the security measures taken to ensure people's safety in public places.

A suo-motu case to ensure people's safety in public places has been listed before the first bench of the Madras High Court (MHC) comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice PD Audikesavalu.

The government pleader appeared for the State submitted that the government is taking action to fix CCTV cameras in all public places, almost 69 percent of places were covered with cameras. Also, actions have been taken to fix GPS trackers in taxis, Auto, and other private transports. The government pleader requested further time to submit the status report.

Accepting this, the bench posted the matter to August 11, 2023.

In the wake of the gruesome murder of an IT professional Swathi in broad daylight at Nungambakkam railway station, on June 24, 2016, Justice N Kirubakaran wrote a letter to the then Chief Justice of MHC Sanjay Kishan Kaul. Justice Kirubakaran raised some serious questions regarding people's safety in public places and requested to take it as a suo-motu petition.

The gruesome murder exposed the lack of police patrolling and lack of surveillance by CCTV cameras at important places like railway stations, noted in the letter.