The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday sought a response from the State government on setting up a dedicated wing to look into and take necessary action based on offences that were highlighted by the media, including social media.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi initiated suo motu proceedings based on media reports of a Tenkasi policeman misbehaving with a woman in an inebriated state in the Sankarankoil bus stand. The video of the incident went viral.
Expressing shock over the incident, the judges said that offences against women and children were increasing every day and not in all cases the police could wait until a complaint was filed to take necessary action.
Instead, the authorities can keep a track on media reports, including social media, and act swiftly based on such videos and reports that highlight these offences. A separate wing should be set up for the purpose of monitoring and taking action, the judges said.
The judges observed that this incident was an eye-opener and therefore the court thought it fit to initiate suo motu proceedings. The court impleaded the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police in the case and sought their response.
