HC approves police inquiry against DMK workers for rumours over Jayalalithaa's health

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed Tamil Nadu Police to proceed with its probe against two DMK workers who had allegedly posted rumours in the social media over the health of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and asked them to cooperate. [caption id=“attachment_3073828” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of CM Jayalalithaa. PTI[/caption] “The police could proceed with the investigation of the cases in accordance with law and the petitioners should cooperate with the investigation,” the court said. The court gave the direction on the petitions of R Navaneethakrishnan and S Rajiv Gandhi, both belonging to DMK and residents of Pollachi in Coimbatore district. According to the prosecution, they had allegedly posted rumours on Facebook and Twitter on the chief minister’s health on 15 October. After a complaint was lodged, a criminal case was registered and they were summoned to police for inquiry, and then the duo moved the high court. They moved the court to forbear state government officials from “harassing them” or “interfering” with their social media accounts. They alleged that they were being threatened to close the social media accounts. The duo claimed the case was registered for having posted “satirical” posts and poems on Jayalalithaa’s health. The Special Government Pleader submitted that the duo had given a written statement on the ill-health of the chief minister and had spread rumours on her health condition. They created a wrong impression in the minds of the public and caused a law-and-order problem, he said. The court recorded the assurance given by the Special Government Pleader that the state’s intention was not to harass them. In its order, the court said, “It is made clear that the petitioners shall not in any way give room to any rumours in public which will create law-and-order situation and spread rumours regarding the ill-health of the chief minister, who is undergoing treatment, as they are not qualified as such to give such opinion.”