The Supreme Court of India has sharply questioned the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to suspend Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H.M. Jayaram, particularly after the Madras High Court had issued a directive for his arrest in connection with a kidnapping case. The apex court termed the state’s action “shocking” and “demoralising,” emphasizing the need for senior officers to be treated with due process and respect.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan, while hearing a special leave petition filed by ADGP Jayaram challenging the High Court’s arrest order, expressed strong disapproval of the developments. Jayaram was reportedly taken into custody and questioned for several hours before being released, only to be subsequently suspended by the state government.
During the proceedings, the Supreme Court bench remarked, “He is a senior police officer. Where was the requirement for you to put him under suspension? These kinds of orders are shocking and demoralising.” The court further questioned the rationale behind suspending an officer who had reportedly cooperated with the investigation, highlighting the potential “irreparable injury” such actions could inflict on a public servant with decades of unblemished service.
The case revolves around the alleged kidnapping of a minor boy, linked to an inter-caste love marriage. It is alleged that ADGP Jayaram’s official vehicle was used in the abduction, prompting the Madras High Court, while hearing an anticipatory bail plea of an MLA also implicated in the case, to direct the police to secure Jayaram. Justice P. Velmurugan of the Madras High Court had stated that “a strong message must go out that no one is above the law,” asserting that public servants are accountable.
However, Jayaram’s counsel argued before the Supreme Court that his client was not even a party to the anticipatory bail application being heard by the High Court and that the arrest order was based solely on alleged confessional statements of other accused, without detailed reasoning or adherence to due process.
The Supreme Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to seek instructions and apprise the court by Thursday on whether the suspension order against ADGP Jayaram would be withdrawn. The ongoing legal battle underscores significant questions about judicial overreach, administrative discretion, and the protection of civil servants’ rights during investigations. The matter is set for further hearing, with keen public and legal interest in its outcome. Sources