DMK on Wednesday petitioned the state police demanding that no preventive arrests be made in line with a court judgement ahead of its July 4 jail bharo agitation against the ruling AIADMK over alleged foisting of cases against its leaders.
DMK president M. Karunanidhi recalled that his party had moved the court in 2003 following plans by the then AIADMK government to allegedly make preventive arrests of his colleagues, ahead of a protest in Chennai.
Replying to a set of questions in the party organ Murasoli, he said the high court bench had directed policemen against making any preventive arrests from their residential premises and that “this shall not preclude police from excercising their power under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC) when there is an actual attempt to commit any cognizable offence in public place.”
Ealier, DMK legal wing secretary R.S. Bharathi submitted a memorandum to DGP K. Ramanujam, detailing the 2003 Madras high court verdict obtained by the party to stage a protest against the then AIADMK government.
Referring to the court judgement, issued by the first bench, he said it had directed the police against making any preventive arrests, besides laying down guidelines within Cr.PC for possible arrests.
Besides, the judgement had also said that adequate protection should be given during the protests, he said.