No relief for Thirumurugan in hate speech cases

Dismissing all the criminal original petitions moved by Thirumurugan seeking to quash the eight FIRs registered against him in various police stations in Chennai and Nagapattinam district, Justice N Anand Venkatesh on Tuesday said, “This court is of the considered view that there are prima facie materials available against Thirumurugan and there are absolutely no grounds to interfere with the investigation conducted by the police at this stage.”

Also, noting that any leader or a speaker who takes to public platform or expresses through social media must bear it in mind that the Constitution does not permit hate speech in the name of freedom of speech and expression, the judge said, “The speeches made by Thirumurugan is pregnant with hate spewed against a particular community which is attacked in a vituperative, opprobrious and slanderous manner. He has also used the choicest of words against the High Court and Supreme Court.”

Extracting the offending portions of the speeches made by Thirumurugan, Justice Anand Venkatesh, said, “The speeches certainly promote a feeling of enmity and ill-will between religious groups and communities. It also has the shades of fissiparous and separatist tendencies, which will seriously affect the unity of the nation and will have an impact on the growth and development of this State.”

Senior Counsel N R Elango who appeared for Thirumurugan had contended that the police are resorting to witch-hunting by registering false cases against him, whenever he raises public issues, which is against freedom of speech. Per contra, Public Prosecutor, A Natarajan, submitted that Thirumurugan involves himself in giving hate speeches which induces negative thoughts in the minds of public regards projects being implemented by the State andCentral Government.