C J RAJAN Vs. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner is the organiser of the People's Watch, a Non-Governmental Organisation, functioning as a Human Rights Watch Group in the State of Tamil Nadu. The petitioner People's Watch claims that they are also running a Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (RCTV) and also a movement called Citizens for Human Rights Movement (CHRM ). They are concerned about the increased encounter killings in the State of Tamil Nadu and they have been conducting programmes with reference to preventing the encounter killing by the State police and also to sensitize all concerned about following the guidelines issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on such encounters.

(2.) AS part of their campaign, they wanted to have a public meeting on 01. 4. 2007 at Mayiladuthurai (Nagapattinam District) and the meeting was to be presided over by the Director of People's Watch. It was stated that in the meeting, apart from the Director of People's Watch, the organisers had intended to invite retired High Court Judges, lawyers, journalists, educationalists, human right activists and political personalities. The place in which the meeting was to be held was either in the playground in front of the Office of the RDO or in the Rajan Garden.

(3.) AN application was also made to the first respondent on 19. 3. 2007 by the petitioner. The said request was rejected by the first respondent vide his order dated 22. 3. 2007. The reasons foundin that order was that by stating that in view of the maintenance of law and order and the likelihood of there being a breach of peace and disturbance to public tranquility in Mayiladuthurai Sub-Division in the event of conducting such meetings and also in view of the promulgation of Regulatory order under Section 30 (2) of the Police Act, 1861. It is as against the said refusal, the present petition has been filed.