The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed a petition filed by an Inspector of Police attached to the District Crime Branch, Pudukkottai, seeking setting aside of the show cause notice issued to her by the Superintendent of Police on April 8 for her alleged involvement in ‘katta panchayat’.
Justice V.M. Velumani dismissed the petition filed by D. Anitha Arockia Mary, stating that it was well settled that the power of the court to interfere with the show cause notice was very limited.
The notice was issued to the Inspector based on an earlier order of the court. It was said that she had tried to settle an issue involving money between two persons and asked them to sign a compromise deed.
However, the petitioner said it was the parties who informed her that they had settled the problem between themselves. Hence, she obtained statements from them and closed the inquiry, she said.
Taking note of the submissions, the judge observed that the court had earlier held that the petitioner, instead of advising the parties to approach the civil court to resolve the dispute, conducted ‘katta panchayat’. It had directed the Director General of Police to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the petitioner.
Based on the direction, the show cause notice had been issued and it could not be set aside, the judge said.
