CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Director General of Police (DGP) and the City Police Commissioner to stop the Bus Day events, celebrated in an illegal manner that has caused serious inconvenience to the public, besides breaking the rule of law.The first bench comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam gave the direction on Wednesday while passing interim orders on the public interest writ petitions from Nethaji Pokkuvarathu Thozhilalargal Pathukappu Thozhil Sangam, by its counsel RY George Williams and advocate V Srinivasan of Poonamallee, represented by his counsel R Krishnamurthy.The Bench pointed out that while passing orders on a similar petition on March 2 last year, it had directed the authorities concerned not to allow the students to indulge in Bus Day celebrations and to take appropriate action against the students. Despite this order, the students had been holding the Bus Day celebrations. On February 9 this year, the students of Pachaiyappa’s College took out a procession from Koyambedu to their college on Poonamallee High Road and indulged in violence after they were refused permission to celebrate the Bus Day. Many persons, including policemen, sustained injuries and a police vehicle and an MTC bus were damaged, the Bench noted. When the present petitions came up on Wednesday, the Bench directed the Government Pleader to seek instructions from the DGP and CoP as to what concrete steps had been taken against the students, who were involved in the February 9 incident. The Bench also directed the college principal and the local police to file affidavits stating the steps taken against the students.After directing the DGP and the CoP to stop Bus Day celebrations, the Bench also observed that if such an incident was repeated, that would amount to non-compliance of its earlier orders by the authorities concerned. They might be held liable for initiation of appropriate proceedings, the Bench warned and posted the matter for further hearing on February 20.
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