Madras High Court restores SI post for mother of two

Chennai: The Madras high court set came to the rescue of a mother of two children whose selection to the post of Sub-Inspector of police was cancelled on the ground that she has suppressed the factum of pendency of a criminal case.
The court set aside the order cancelling her selection and directed the authorities to permit her to undergo training along with others selected.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh gave the directive while allowing a petition from K Gandhimathi.
The bench said the petitioner, being a woman and having two minor children and said to have been deserted by her husband, appeared for the written examination for the post of Sub-Inspector of Police. As she cleared the written examination, she was called to attend the physical endurance test followed by an interview. She came out successful in the selection process.

By the impugned order, her selection was cancelled on the ground that she has suppressed the factum of pendency of a criminal case. Challenging the said order, she has filed the present petition, the bench added. After perusing the records, the bench said the de facto complainant was none other than the mother-in-law of the petitioner. The perusal of the allegations in the FIR would show that the petitioner's mother-in-law came to her house for washing cloths and the petitioner was alleged to have scolded her in filthy language.

It appears that a combined statement has been given by all the accused including the petitioner before the police in Dindigul that they would not indulge in fighting with other family members anymore for the property dispute and such dispute, if any, would be resolved through court. "From the above materials alone, we are unable to come to any conclusion that the petitioner was aware of the pendency of the FIR registered against her. A mere enquiry would not lead to such an inference", the bench added.