HC orders notice on plea by ex-chairman of BC TN & PY for police protection

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered notice to the state police DGP and Chennai city police commissioner to file their counters within a week on a plea filed by D Selvam, former chairman, of the Bar Council of Tamil and Puducherry seeking police protection for him and his family members.

Justice AA Nakkiran passed the direction to the top police officers on hearing the petition filed by D Selvam who was the chairman of BC TN & PY from 2011 to 2016. The petitioner sought directions to BC TN&PY’s chairman, DGP, and GCP commissioner to revoke the order of withdrawing the armed police protection which was given to him till October 2021.

“As per the directions of the Madras HC, about 126 erring advocates were suspended from practising before the court during my tenure as the chairman of the BC TN & PY. Aggrieved with the move, several advocates and their men are threatening the lives of myself and my family members. Even a few had attacked my house. Considering the situation, the former GCP AK Viswanathan had ordered for providing police protection for me and my family members in 2015. However, the same was withdrawn in October 2021,” the petitioner noted.

He further added that there is no response from the police despite he sent several representations seeking police protection for him and his family members.

On recording the submissions, the judge directed the DGP and GCP commissioner to file counters and adjourned the matter by a week.