Chennai top cop gets relief from rights body summons | Latest news India

Chennai: After Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun was summoned by the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) for his remarks that they will speak “in a language that the turbulent understand”, DMK Rajya Sabha MP and senior counsel P Wilson argued for him that “Some rumormongers speak Telugu and therefore speaking in their language does not violate human rights”.

On the day Arun took charge as Chennai’s new top cop on July 8, he told the media, “We will speak in a language that the fights understand” in response to a question about curbing the rumour.

Notably, after the killing of BSP Tamil Nadu president K. Armstrong on July 5, the Chennai police killed three history-makers in alleged encounter operations.

The key accused in Armstrong’s murder, Thiruvengadam, who the police claimed was directly involved in the murder, was shot dead.

After the three killings, the SHRC had summoned Arun on October 14 to explain what he meant by these statements, as the Madras high court refused to stop the human rights body from proceeding with the summons for explain what he meant by this statement.

“Rowdyism in Chennai has been under control since Arun took over,” Wilson had argued.

Wilson on October 17 asked the SHRC to waive the commissioner’s personal appearance.

“Permission is granted,” the SHRC said in a statement.

In his affidavit, the commissioner stated that when a reporter asked him if “encounters” (extrajudicial killings) would be expected in any Macaronist, he specifically replied that there are no such things.

“… we will take every step to ensure that the rumors are dealt with in accordance with the law,” the commissioner said in his affidavit.

“I declare that the said statement was made with the sole intention of educating the rumors and making them understand the consequences of these crimes and the effect and impact they have on society. I declare that in the first instance I mentioned specifically by me during the aforementioned press conference that professional policing would be done on a regular basis to ensure the maintenance of law and order. I declare that I firmly believe in the law and the judicial system of this country.”

The state human rights panel on October 17 accepted the affidavit and dispensed with the “appearance of the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai” and its motu ordered on record “to remove the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai / third defendant in the series of parties”.