Take steps to prevent possible law & order problem: HC on Aircel issue

The Madras High Court today directed the police to take necessary steps to prevent any possible law and order problem as a fallout of telecom provider Aircel filing for bankruptcy.
The court was passing orders on a petition by Aircel seeking a direction to the police to give protection to all its offices.
Stating that police protection had not been provided despite complaints, the company's counsel sought directions to do so immediately as the insolvency petition would come up for hearing tomorrow and orders might be passed, possibly leading to a law and order problem.
When the matter came up for hearing before Justice M S Ramesh, Additional Government Pleader D Raja produced a copy of a March 1 letter by the DGP which said that all superintendents of police and commissioners of police had been instructed to take appropriate action on the request for protection.

Recording the submissions, the judge said that specific direction might not be warranted at this stageas the DGP had already given instructions.
"The DGPs and CPs shall take cognisance of the situation and take necessary precaution to avoid any untoward incidents and prevent law and order problem," the judge said.

He posted the matter to March 21 for reporting compliance.
Aircel submitted that due to reasons beyond its control, the petitioner company had filed for insolvency under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 before the National Company Law Tribunal, Mumbai.
As news of Aircel's financial difficulties and possible insolvency became public, irate vendors, creditors and customers decided to take the law into their own hands. Over the last 20 days, they were vandalising office premises and showrooms and threatening several employees and key management personnel, the petitioner said.

On March 5, the high court had issued a notice to the telecom ministry and TRAI on a PIL seeking a direction for resumption of the mobile provider's services at the earliest.
Petitioner Sivakumar had submitted that over 25 lakh subscribers were affected by the sudden stopping of service by the cellular company.