HC orders judicial probe into police lathicharge on Lankan refugees

Madras high court today ordered a judicial probe into the incident at a special camp for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees near here where about 15 refugees were 'seriously' injured after police allegedly lathicharged them.

"We direct the principal district judge Chenglepattu to inquire into the incident and submit a report within four weeks," a division Bench, comprising justice Elipe Dharma Rao and justice KK Sasidharan said.

The court posted the petition, seeking a judicial inquiry into the February 2, 2009 incident, for hearing after four weeks.

Stating that more than 30 residents at the Chengalpattu camp, including the 20 injured, were registered under the Foreigners Act, the petitioner P Pugazenthi also sought a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to pay adequate compensation to the injured.

According to the petitioner, police had lathicharged the refugees resulting in injury to 15 persons and alleged that they that had not been given proper treatment.

The government, however, claimed that the 15 persons had misbehaved on that day at the camp and indulged in violence resulting in an altercation between the inmates and police guarding the camp.

Cases had been registered against them.