The Madras High Court on Tuesday summoned five inspectors of Tamil Nadu Police, posted at a police station in Chennai for shabby investigation of a fund misappropriation case against the former office-bearers of the Southern India Cinematographers Association.
A complaint was filed against the former office bearers by General Secretary M. Ilavarasu that they had misappropriated an amount of Rs 40 lakh.
Justice Jagdish Chandra summoned Inspectors Shivakumar, Ramamoorthy, Selvarani, Kannan, and A.V. Srinivasan, who had served at Soundarapandiyanar Angadi Police Station in T. Nagar since March 3, 2022, to be present in the court on February 5 and explain the inordinate delay in investigating the complaint.
Ilavarasu had, in his petition, pointed out that the misappropriation complaint was lodged with the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police on November 22, 2016. After that, a petition was filed in court seeking a direction to the police to register a FIR on the basis of the complaint.
Justice M.S. Ramesh had directed the Central Crime Branch on October 9, 2017 to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days and register a FIR, if a cognisable was made out. The CCB registered a FIR on February 13, 2018 and transferred it to the local police since the misappropriated amount was less than Rs 50 lakh.
Since there was no progress thereafter, the actor moved the high court once again in 2022 seeking a direction to the police to expedite the probe.
Justice Jagdish Chandra disposed of the direction petition on March 3, 2022 after ordering the Inspector of Police concerned to file a final report within four months.
The complaint was re-registered at the Soundarapandiyanar Angadi police station but again there was no progress forcing the actor file the present contempt of court petition in 2023.
After the filing of the contempt plea, the police filed a final report on December 13, 2023 recommending closure of the complaint, and informed the court of this.
At this, the judge wondered how the police could have kept the funds misappropriation complaint pending for seven long years but could then file a negative final report within a day after inquiring with the complainant.
Justice Chandra said that this was just an example of how many complainants were forced to approach this court and seek a direction even to get an FIR registered. He further said that the complainants are forced to file a petition to expedite the investigation and once again to file a final report.
“Nothing moves until contempt petitions are filed,” Justice Chandra said, adding that the police was conducting shabby investigation in most of such criminal cases and expressed his displeasure at this.
(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)
