Submit report on transport arrangements, Chief Justice tells Tamil Nadu government

Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the special government pleader to submit a detailed report on the transport arrangements made for ‘devotees’ thronging to the ‘Thevar Jayanthi’ event at Pasumponn in Ramanathapuram district.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice J Nisha Banu issued this direction on a petition seeking to issue direction to the authorities to allow the ‘devotees’ of freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar to travel in hired vehicles to participate in ‘Thevar Jayanthi’, marking the 110th birth anniversary and the 55th guru puja (death anniversary) of Muthuramalinga, which falls on October 30.

The participants were allowed to travel in hired vehicle till recent past, said the petitioner adding, because some individuals had been involved in adverse incidents during the ‘Jayanthi’, the police had banned hiring of vehicles and imposed various restrictions.

Countering this, the special government pleader informed the court that the district administration and police had taken these steps to ensure law and order as human lives had been lost due to untoward incidents reported in 2011 and 2012. He also said that hired vehicles were not allowed only from 50-km surrounding from the event venue and the district administration has also arranged buses for the people from various points.

Recording this submissions, Ms. Indira Banerjee asked the SPP to submit a report on Thursday, specifying the points up to which movement would be free and the point from which the restrictions would apply. The report should also specify the arrangements for ferrying devotees as also arrangements for parking at the entry point.

The report should also indicate the number of buses that will be available from the different entry points and the number of special buses should be indicated separately in the report, said the court.