HC quashes FIR against Min Senthilbalaji in Farm Laws protest case

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed the First Information Report (FIR) filed against Tamil Nadu electricity minister V Senthil Balaji allegedly for staging a protest in 2020 against the four Farm Laws brought by the Union government.

Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan passed the orders on disposing of a criminal original petition filed by Senthil Balaji. The minister sought direction to quash the case booked by the Karur police for staging a protest at Karur in a way violating the Covid lockdown restrictions.

The police had booked the cases under Sections 143, and 270 of the IPC read with Section 4 (1) Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959.

According to the petitioner, he was not even present in the said protest that was conducted in Karur on October 9, 2020.

“The protest was conducted in a peaceful manner, without any nuisance to the public, and was for a genuine public cause. The Petitioner was not even present in person at the place of occurrence. However, without any tangible evidence or supporting materials, the police registered an FIR without even conducting a basic inquiry on the commission of the alleged offenses,” Senthil Balaji's advocate N Barani Kumar submitted.

He further submitted that the police could not file a case against the petitioner under Section 143 – unlawful assembly – while his client was not even present at the scene.

Recording the submissions, the judge quashed the FIR.