Madras HC decries political violence, says parties should settle disputes through ballot alone

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday modified a simple imprisonment awarded to a man in an assault case over political rivalry, to rigorous jail term, decrying the means of violence to settle political scores. [caption id=“attachment_4234537” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. CNN-News18[/caption] Justice PN Prakash observed that democracy would survive only if political parties agreed to peacefully settle their disputes through the ballot and not by engaging in “murderous assaults” on members of rival parties. If the court condones such acts, it would only encourage lawlessness, he said, while dismissing an appeal by one of the seven accused challenging the XV Additional Sessions Judge’s order of 12 February, 2013, that awarded three years’ simple imprisonment to them. The trial court had awarded a simple imprisonment to the accused, but Justice Prakash said it shows “misplaced sympathy” and modified the term as rigorous imprisonment. According to the prosecution, two PMK workers had joined the Congress following the efforts taken by former party MLA Balaraman. Angered over this, a group of PMK activists, including the appellant, allegedly attacked Balaraman on 9 November, 2010, chopping off his left ear.