The Madras High Court on Friday reserved orders on a petition filed by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan urging the court to review its September 22 order granting permission for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) route march in over 50 places across the State on October 2.
Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan deferred his verdict after advocate N.G.R. Prasad, representing the petitioner, contended the writ petitions filed by RSS functionaries ought not to have been listed on the criminal side by the High Court registry just because the local police officers had been made as respondents to those petitions.
He said, the writ petitions should have been heard by a single judge on the writ side so that an appeal could be preferred before the Division Bench in the High Court itself. The listing of the writ petitions before a single judge on the criminal side had led to a situation where the appeal could be filed only before the Supreme Court, he added.
“Mere inclusion of police officers as respondents to a writ petition would not make the issue criminal in nature,” he contended.