Activist arrest: HC directs TN govt to file report

The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary to file a status report on the action taken against police officials who have acted in a high-handed manner while arresting social activist Traffic Ramaswamy here recently.
When a petition by R Fatima, attached to the organisation of Ramaswamy at Kumbakonam, seeking action against the police came up for hearing, Justice T S Sivgnanam also ordered notice to the Home Secretary and the state Director General of Police returnable by April 8.
The petitioner submitted that Ramaswamy was preparing to move the court to take criminal action against the city Commissioner of Police in connection with the death of a person and injury to a policeman while removing an unauthorised banner. He had also given a representation to the state government in this regard.

Knowing all these and to prevent Ramaswamy from filing the case in the court, the Commissioner hatched the conspiracy with his subordinates and set up one Veeramani and got foisted a false case against Ramaswamy, she alleged.
She further alleged that Ramaswamy being a man of 82 years, there was no need to arrest at the odd time (around 4 am) without following rules and at the time of arrest the police pushed him on the steps and try to murder him.
She has submitted a representation to the government seeking action against the police officials but as there was no response, the present petition.

Ramaswamy was arrested on March 11 at 4 am from his house here on charges of threatening businessman Veeramani and remanded to judicial custody. Later, he was admitted to the convict ward of government hospital after he fell unconscious.
Lambasting the state government and the city police for the early morning arrest of Ramaswamy, the court had earlier directed that he be immediately shifted to the Government Super Speciality Hospital as a normal patient.
Ramaswamy was later granted bail by a city court.