MHC orders CB-CID probe attack at Arappor Iyakkam meeting in Tirunelveli

CHENNAI: Citing the need for a fair investigation, the Madurai bench of Madras High Court ordered a CB-CID, probe into the disruption of a meeting convened by Arappor Iyakkam meeting on illegal stone quarrying in Tirunelveli during which some of the participants were attacked.

Transferring the investigation to the CB-CID, Justice B Pugalendhi directed the Tirunelveli police Commissioner to retrieve the final report from the file of the Judicial Magistrate, Tirunelveli, and forward it, along with the entire case records, to the crime branch within two weeks. The court also ordered that the final report should be filed within three months.

The anti-corruption outfit had held a meeting at Palayamkottai on November 2, 2025, to address the grievances of residents and farmers affected by illegal stone quarrying in Tirunelveli. The meeting was chaired by advocate V Suresh and attended by experts from various fields to hear the grievances of the affected farmers.

According to the petitioners, a group of lawyers entered the meeting hall to stop the proceedings, and Dharmaraj, a participant, was allegedly slapped and assaulted by an advocate. They alleged that a group of 25 to 30 lawyers violently attacked the organisers to stall the meeting.

Following the incident, Arappor convener Jayaram Venkatesan lodged an e-complaint through the online complaints portal. However, no action was taken on his complaint. Instead, the Palayamkottai police inspector allegedly registered a suo motu case against five advocates under Sections 296 (b) and 115 (2) of the BNS.

Jayaram and advocate Suresh filed a petition before the High Court seeking transfer of the investigation to the CB-CID, arguing that the Palayamkottai police failed to act on their complaint and instead registered a suo motu FIR to divert the issue.

During the hearing, the Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that a final report had already been filed and therefore there was no necessity for a CB-CID investigation, and sought it to be dismissed.