RSS extended arm wing Hindu Munnani workers who were arrested and lodged in prison since January 11 for defacing the statue of social reformer and founder of the Dravidian movement, Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy popularly called as Thanthai Periyar were charged under Goondas Act.
The detention orders were served on the duo on Tuesday. It is to be noted the stringent law Goondas act was promulgated during ADMK CM Ramachandran in 1982 to control illegal liquor sales and smuggling that were prevalent during those period
Hindu mundane party functionaries , Arun Karthik (26) and V. Mohanraj (28) of Vellalore were arrested on January 11 after the face of a statute of Periyar at Vellalore in Coimbatore was found smeared with saffron powder and garlanded with slippers.
The incident took place on January 9 and there were widespread protests across the state with the Dravidar Kazhakam (DK) and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) leading the charge.
There were demands from across the state to give befitting punishment to the perpetrators of the crime and the police arrested the duo on January 11 and were remanded in judicial custody at the Coimbatore central prison.
If a person arrested under this Act wishes to show that he innocence, his lawyer cannot advocate on his behalf. Only members of his family may approach the appeals panel on his behalf.
Once a person is detained, his or her family has 12 days to request for his or her release, first to the state for evaluation, then to the advisory panel established under Section 10 of the Act.
The panel will be made up of a High Court judge, a retired judge, and a session judge. The panel will conduct an investigation and report to the court on whether the act imposed on the person concerned is right. Action will be taken against the person based on the decision.
According to the state, the amended act allows the state to also hold first-time offenders for an offence that may have a potential to disrupt public order.
Then ADMK Government led by Jayalalitha based its decision on 2011 ratified by Madras High Court judgement that said that “even a single crime allows imprisonment of a person as a Goonda, under the Act.
Reliable sources informed Enforcing Goondas act on Hindu Munnani party workers made the state unit of BJP leaders shell shocked
It may be noted that there were similar incidents of vandalizing the statues of Periyar across Tamil Nadu happened four times during the erstwhile ADMK government by Hindutva forces and more than twice culprits were not arrested but released citing the offenders were mentally unfit
With the change in regime Unlike ADMK government Current DMK government strong action has send shock waves to Hindutva forces who act under the advice of RSS , an organisation banned thrice in India for terrorist activities
