Federation for People’s Rights (FPR), Puducherry, Secretary G. Sugumaran issued a press statement on 23.08.2010:

Federation for People’s Rights extends its support for the tomorrow’s bandh announced by the opposition parties in Puducherry.

The opposition parties of Puducherry announced for a bandh tomorrow urging the government to get approval from Medical Council of India for the government Medical College and start the courses in this academic year itself and scrap the regional quota, which is against the Constitution and the judgment of Supreme Court of India.

Federation for People’s Rights appeals to the students and general public to participate and make the bandh success.

Puducherry, Aug 11 (PTI) In the wake of Madras High court recently setting aside the 75 per cent reservation quota for Puducherry region, Puducherry based Federation for People`s Rights has asked the territorial government to notify fresh counselling for students who could not appear earlier for admission to professional courses under government quota. Secretary of the Federation Mr. G. Sugumaran said in a release here today that the quashing of the quota for `Puducherry region` had in its wake made invalid another component in the decision of the government. Sugumaran said when the 75 percent quota was sought to be implemented for admission to professional colleges during the current academic year the administration through Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) laid down a condition that a student should have done school education continuously for three preceeding years in Pondicherry region. “With the quota itself being set aside this condition of continuous school education in Puducherry also gets quashed,” he said. Students who had done the course outside Union Territory (despite being residents of Puducherry) could not either become eligible for selection for admission or had not applied for the courses. The government should now call for applications from such students, Sugumaran said.

PTI / 11.08.2010

Federation for People’s Rights (FPR), Puducherry Secretary G. Sugumaran issued a statement on 02.03.2010:

Federation for People’s Rights urges the Puducherry Government to sack M. Hariharan, Officer on Special Duty, Lalith Kala Academy and Sangeeth Natak Academy from service, since the charges against him were proved before the enquiry committee constituted by the Government to probe about his unauthorized foreign tours.

M. Hariharan presently Officer on Special Duty, Lalith Kala Academy and Sangeeth Natak Academy, is former principal of Bharathiar Palkalai Koodam. During 2007 and 2008 he frequently visited USA to attend various events without any prior permission or approval of the Government, which amounts to grave misconduct and insubordination. As per the CCS Rules, a Government servant should obtain prior permission or approval from the competent authority to visit foreign country is obligatory.

The Government after receiving complaints from various quarters instituted a departmental enquiry in this regard under the head of S. D. Sunderasan, JMD, Puducherry Textile Corporation. The enquiry officer conducted the enquiry and submitted the report to the Government recently. The report reveals that the charges leveled against M. Hariharan were proved beyond suspicion.

During his tenure as Principal at Bharathiar Palkalai Koodam he indulged in various corruption, irregularities, misappropriation and mal administration. Already two enquiry committees were constituted in this regard under the head of G. Theva Neethi Dass, then Director of Local Administration Department and Ragesh Chandra, Collector. These committee reports are also with the Government which is against the said delinquent officer.

The officials of Department of Art and Culture instead of taking severe action safe guarding the guilty officer. Due to massive agitation he was transferred from BPK. After assuming charge as OSD to Lalith Kala Academy on December 1999 to December 2009, he was paid Rs. 30,58,280/- as salary without performing any duty.

So, we request the Puducherry administration to take steps to remove M. Hariharan from service to infuse confidence among the public. We are organising an Assembly Picketing Struggle on 12th March 2010 to press this demand.

Federation for People’s Rights (FPR) Secretary G. Sugumaran issued a press release on 17.12.2009:

The Union Government had filed an appeal petition in Supreme Court to recall or modify its earlier Judgment delivered in Puducherry Port Development case. In this context, Federation for People’s Rights (FPR) earnestly request the Puducherry Government to terminate the agreement entered with a private firm, in the light of the infirmities and gross violation of the statutory provisions in awarding the contract.

The Government of Puducherry evolved a plan to develop the existing port and entered in to a agreement with a private concern with an estimated cost of Rs. 2600 crores on 2005. The Government had transferred 153 acres of its owned land around the existing port site, to the private firm without obtaining prior permission from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is the competent authority as established by law. It also attempted to acquire the private lands in and around the Thengaithittu village.

As the people of Puducherry firmly believed that their fundamental basis for existence would be jeopardized on implementing the port project, they embarked into intensive agitation against the Government’s wrong decision. Following the agitation launched jointly by Political Parties and Social Movements, the Government announced that the port project would be kept in abeyance. It is worth to note here that FPR played a vital role in these struggles.

Following the Madras High Court and Supreme Court Judgments in the Port Project case, the Puducherry Government had determined to execute the project and announced the same in public.

At this juncture the Government of India, particularly the MHA has preferred an Appeal Petition in the Supreme Court of India to recall or modify the decision delivered earlier. The SC admitted the petition and had taken on file. In the light of this new development, the issue gains significance.

MHA had pointed out various Infirmities and violation of Rules and Regulations, Statutory Provisions of Puducherry Administration Act, Puducherry Rules of Business, Governance of UT Act and Constitution of India.

The Government had violated in the bid process, selection of bidder, terms of contract, disproportionate quantum of lease amount, constitution of governing body, etc. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home affairs, Planning Commission have recorded the violation of the rules to the core and undue favoritism shown to the private firm, which has been found guilty by the SEBI authorities. Besides the terms of contract has caused huge monetary loss to the Exchequer. The matter has been taken cognizance by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) which is yet to receive its reply from the Puducherry Government.

Further, it has been pointed out by the Government of India that handing over of 153 acres of state owned land to private firm is beyond the jurisdiction of Puducherry Government, as the power vest only with the MHA.

The lease amount has been fixed as 3.06 lakhs per annum for the above said land payable to the Government by the private firm. As per the normal procedure in practice in the states like Andhrapradesh, is that the lease amount should be 2% of the fair market value of the land. Hence, the lease amount to be collected figures around 14.5 crores. Hence, the Government has shown undue favour to the private firm causing substantial loss to the Government.

The Honble Minister for Port Mr. E. Valsaraj is behind all the illegalities and favoritism, and he should own responsibility for the whole affairs. We also request the Government to come out with a white paper in this regard.

Hence, the Government should take steps to terminate the said illegal agreement, forthwith. If the Government is failing to rescind the said contract, FPR will be in fore front to moblise the people and organise struggles against the Puducherry administration.

Petition sent by G. Sugumaran, Secretary, Federation for People’s Rights (FPR), Puducherry on 03.07.2009 to Honourable Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court and Honourable Chief Justice, High Court of Madras.

Honourable Sir,

I am the Secretary of the Federation for People’s Rights (FPR), Puducherry, an organization fighting for Human Rights from 1989 and submitting this petition in the interest of public for your kind and necessary action.

1. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a case and conducting the investigation on the mark scandal that took place in Pondicherry University. Two persons were arrested by the CBI and one Dr. Krishnsmurthy and his son Kiruba Sridhar, third year student in private medical college in Puducherry are yet to be arrested, who were absconding.

2. The above said Doctor and his son filed a Petition for grant of Anticipatory Bail at High Court of Madras, which came for enquiry on 30.06.2009 before Honourable Justice R. Ragupathy. At that time the Honourable Judge has made an open statement in the open Court that ‘a Union Minister has interfered to decide in favour of the petitioners.’ This has been widely covered in media.

3. This incident shocked the people who were having faith in Judiciary. I also appreciate the courage of the Honourable Judge who exposed the interference of politicians in Judiciary. It’s a great threat to Independent Judiciary. Further the Honourable Judge should come out with the name of the Union Minister concerned.

4. The eminent legal experts of India condemned this incident in strongest possible terms, which is a great challenge to Judiciary. They have also expressed that the act of Union Minister is cognizable under contempt proceedings and stressed for action against the Minister concerned. By this act the Union Minister violated the oath taken that he would abide by Constitution.

5. I would like to draw your kind attention on the statement made by Honourable Justice J.S. Varma, Former Chief Justice of India, ‘there is no point of punishing someone for small offence, if you don’t take action against the powerful and the high and the mighty.’

6. I humbly request your authority to initiate suo moto proceedings against the Minister concerned in order to uphold the Supremacy of the Judiciary and independent functioning of Judges. And also take necessary steps and instruct the Central Government to launch stringent action against the Minister concerned, so as to stop its recurrence in future.

7. I would like to bring to your kind notice that the mark scandal have been jointly done by the officials of Pondicherry University and by affluent persons. I request your authority to take steps to bring book the higher ups and unmask them before the Society.

8. Further, one Jayaraman, an employee of Pondicherry University, who have been brought to light the mark scandal have been murdered by unidentified goondas on 20.05.2008. Crime No. 45/2008 U/S 302 IPC in the file of Kalapet Police Station, Puducherry. Not even a single person was arrested in this case till date.

9. Durairaj brother of the said deceased Jayaraman had filed a Petition before the High Court of Madras for issuing a direction to entrust the above said murder case to CBI. Crl.O.P. No. 1565 of 2008. He has alleged that J. Sampath, Controller of Examination and one Gowribai, Dealing Assistant in the Examination Wing of the Pondicherry University indulged in this mark scandal. This case is still pending in the High Court. Jayaraman himself have given evidence on the above fact that both of them compelled him to accept the crime. It was recorded by the Kalapet police in front of a Doctor, while the said Jayaraman attempted for suicide on 18.02.2008 and admitted in PIMS, a private hospital. Crime No. 18/2008 in the file of Kalapet Police Station. This statement still stands as a dying declaration disclosing the culprits.

10. In this context I humbly request your authority to take necessary steps to arrest all the officials and faculty involved in this mark scandal.

11. I humbly request your authority that the case pertaining to the murder of said Jayaraman should be handed over to CBI, as Puducherry Police failed to make any progress in this case till date.

A fact-finding committee of 17 human rights activists from Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka and Maharashtra visited Mangalore on 10th and 11th of October to investigate the attacks on Christian institutions and persons in and around the city. The members of the team are Dr B Ramulu, K Balagopal, SM Basha, VS Krishna, A Chandrasekhar, V Vasantha Lakshmi (Human Rights Forum-HRF, Andhra Pradesh), R Ram Kumar, M Srinivasulu (Organisation for Protection of Democratic Rights-OPDR, AP), Anand Teltumbde (Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights-CPDR, Mumbai), Prof A Marx (People’s Union for Human Rights- PUHR, Tamil Nadu),  K Kesavan (Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties-CPCL, TN), G Sugumaran (Federation for People’s Rights-FPR, Puducherry), G K Ramaswamy (People’s Democratic Forum-PDF, Karnataka), P B D’Sa and Suresh Bhat (People’s Union for Civil Liberties-PUCL, Karnataka), Debranjan Sarangi (Social Activist, Orissa) and Mohd. Shafi, Abdul Razak and Ayaz Ali (Popular Front of India, Mangalore)

The team visited Adoration Centre, Milagres, St Sebastian Church, Peramannur, the CSI Church, Kodical, Holy Cross Church, Kulsekhar and St Joseph The Worker Church, Vamanjoor. The team also spoke to the IG of Police, Western Range. At each of the above places the team spoke to a number of witnesses and victims of the events of 14th and 15th September.

We are of the view that the attacks are a collusive act of the Bajrang Dal, the Srirama Sene etc on the one hand and the police led by the Superintendent of Police Dakshina Kannada on the other. A planned attack by the Bajrang Dal aimed at causing hurt and resentment among the Christians was used as a pretext by the police to let lose a savage assault on the community and its sacred institutions. In the assault by the police there was direct participation of the Bajrang Dal. On the 14th of September the Bajrang Dal persons attacked the Adoration Centre at Milagres and the CSI Church at Kodical without any provocation whatsoever. The two attacks took place almost simultaneously at about 10.15 am. At Kodical there was nobody in the church because the mass was scheduled for 3 pm. About 30 to 35 persons who had masks covering their faces came on motorbikes and ransacked the church hitting at every object with iron pipes, cricket stumps and sticks. They shouted ‘Bajrang Dal ki jai’ and ‘Bharat mata ki jai’. By the time the neighbouring  members of the church rushed there the assailants had fled. And without any intimation from the victims, the police arrived within five minutes. They cleaned the debris and took it away without performing any inquest. It was clearly intended to suppress the evidence.

At Milagres, at about the same time about 15 persons came on motorbikes shouting slogans of Bajrang Dal and entered the Adoration Centre and attacked it with lathis desecrating even a plaster of paris figure of Christ on the cross. They damaged the holy sacrament which fell into the cloistered chapel where the nuns were praying. Andrew and Irene, wife and husband who had come to pray were beaten. The assailants shouted abusive words and went away. The police who came there after a complaint was given were more interested in interrogating the nuns than in investigating the assaults. They wanted to know whether the Centre had a license and whether the nuns regarded themselves as being of the national community or the international community. One of the policemen warned them not to allow the media to take photographs or videographs.

We may add that these were two of the 17 attacks that took place at the very same time in Dakshina Kannada and Udipi districts. At all the places, the attacks were done by motorcycle borne persons who shouted slogans in praise of Bajrang Dal, Bharat Mata, Sri ram etc.

It is understandable that the Christian community was upset and undertook protests in the form of road blockade and dharna at various places including Mangalore city. The police who acted either collusively or casually when the Bajrang Dal attacked Christian institutions, now became active and imposed prohibitory orders. At Milagres there was further trouble when the police chased and fired tear-gas shells at the protesting Christians. When the latter ran into the compound of the Adoration Centre and threw stones at the police, the police not only threw back the stones but also glass bottles and caused further damage to the Centre.

On 15th September the Christian public who were very much upset gathered at various churches, probably with the intention of discussing the situation and planning further protests. Since prohibitory orders apply only to public places, there was nothing illegal about their gatherings. But the churches, in particular the St Sebastian Church at Peramannur, the Holy Cross Church at Kulasekhar and the St Joseph The Worker Church at Vamanjoor were surrounded by a large posse of policemen who insisted that the Christians should disperse. This led to further conflict. Bajrang Dal and Srirama Sene activists were with the police and they too provoked the Christians. Making an excuse of alleged stone-throwing by the Christians, the police rushed into the church compound in all the three cases and indulged in the most brutal lathi-charge and tear-gas shelling. They entered and beat people in the church and school at Kulasekhar and the church at Peramannur and Vamanjoor. Many of the persons received severe injuries including elderly sisters Denizia (71) and Selma (61) at Kulasekhar. Hemmed in by the police and the Bajrangis outside the compound and the brutal lathi-charge inside the compound, the Christians were in a terrible scare.

The detailed photographs and videographs available show that the Superintendent of Police N Satish Kumar personally led the entirely unjustified assault.  A large number of youth were arrested at all the three places and it took much persuasion from the leaders of the community to get at least some of them released. At St. Sebastian Church the police made the arrested youth sit on the ground and challenged them: ‘say your prayers now’. Totally about 170 appear to have been booked in offences of rioting, criminal intimidation, causing injury and were sent to jail. Whereas only about 60  activists of the Bajrang Dal and Srirama Sene have been arrested for the wanton assault on places of worship in Mangalore and about 80 in the two districts taken together. It is notorious that the Bajrang Dal leader Mahendra Kumar who announced in public on 14-9-2008 was arrested only on 20-9-2008 and that too only after considerable pressure was put on the State Government by the Central Government and Central Organisations.

These events and responses clearly make out a case of complete license given to the Bajrang Dal by the police who have conducted themselves as activists of the Bajrang Dal and not as officers of the law, under the benign gaze of the very friendly State government.

In sharp contrast is the arrest of four Muslim persons in the district within hours of intimation from the Mumbai police about confession allegedly made by some leaders of the Indian Mujahideen. In the early hours of 3rd October, police arrested father and son Mohd. Ali and Javed Ali from their house at Mukkacheri in Ullal police station limits, Naushad in Pandeshwari in the limits of Mangalore city and Ahmed Bawa at Haleyangadi in Mulki police station limits, at about the same time. Police in large numbers raided their residences and took away these four persons. We do not wish to say anything about their innocence or guilt but it has to be pointed out that the police acted contrary to the law and the directions of the Supreme Court. They did not identify themselves, they did not issue any arrest memo, they did not inform the relatives of the arrested persons, and did not tell them where they were being taken. These are not empty formalities but essential ingredients of a transparent procedure which is intended to protect citizens from needless harassment in the course of crime investigation. The police say that these persons were arrested in connection with investigation of offences of a terrorist character. But it is strange that similar urgency has not been shown in arresting the Bajrang Dal persons who have equally terrorized the entire community of Christians in these two districts. This divergent attitude towards terror on the part of the State depending on the community and political identity of the alleged perpetrators is nothing but sheer hypocrisy. In particular, the Bharatiya Janata Party is most vociferous in demanding action against alleged perpetrators of terror when they happen to be either Muslims or Maoists but is the protector of the terror unleashed by the Bajrang Dal and other Sangh Parivar outfits across the country from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh to Orissa and Karnataka.

In this context we would like to add that our organizations have also undertaken a visit to the Kandhamal district of Orissa and will soon bring out a detailed report on the assault on the Christian community by the Sangh Parivar outfits under the aegis of the BJP rulers of the two States.

Insofar as the allegation of forced conversions goes, the IG himself says that there are no complaints. With reference to the abusive booklet which the Bajrang Dal has made much of, the police are still investigating who published it. It is not any body’s case that they have seen it being sold or distributed. In any case no such aberration can be made an excuse for attacks on places of worship.

We place the following demands before the administration.

1.    All the incidents of attacks on Christian institutions must be expeditiously and fairly investigated. Since the local police have shown themselves to be partisan, the investigation must be handed over to the CBI.

2.    The attacks on Churches at Peramannur, Kulshekhar and Vamanjoor must also be registered as criminal offences against the S.P and the concerned inspectors and they should be kept under suspension while the offences are investigated by the CBI.

3.    The State Government must pay full compensation for the damage caused to the churches and other Christian institutions.

4.    Full security must be provided for the Christian population. As recommended by the Sachar Committee, it is necessary to post adequate number of police officers belonging to the minority communities in such areas.

5.    The police must strictly abide by the law and Supreme Court guidelines while making arrests.

6.    The State government should make it clear to all concerned that any complaint of forcible conversion must be made only to concerned authorities. Nobody can be allowed to make it an excuse for attacks on places of worship.

A fact finding committee of 16 human rights activists from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Orissa toured the violence affected parts of Kandhamal district during the last 2 days to ascertain the factual details and the background concerning the wide spread events of arson, looting and murder aimed at the Christian people.

The team consists of Dr. B. Ramulu, K. Balagopal, V.S. Krishna, V. Vasantha Laxmi, K. Murali, Rathnam, Shaik Khadar Baba (Human Rights Forum-HRF-Andhra Pradesh), V. Chitti Babu, V.V. Balakrishna, G. Raghuram, N. Srimannarayana and P. Venkata Rao (Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee-APCLC), Prof. A. Marx, (People Union for Human Rights, PUHR, Tamil Nadu), K.Kesavan, (Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties CPCL-Tamil Nadu), Prof. N. Babaiah, (People’s Democratic Forum-PDF-Karnataka) and Debaranjan Sarangi, Social Activist, Orissa.

The team visited the relief camps at Darangabadi and G. Udayagiri. In addition we spoke to people of Baliguda, Brahmanigaon, Midiakia, Budrukia, Damikia, Jugapadar (Nuvagam), Lakebadi, Raikia, Kattingia and G.Udayagiri.

Before we begin a narration of the state of affairs, we must strongly condemn the attitude of the administration which is preventing anyone from meeting the inmates of the camps. Because of this we could spend only a short time at the camps of Darangabadi and G. Udayagiri. The situation we found in G. Udayagiri illustrates why the attitude of the administration is condemnable. The camp is located in tents put up on open ground which has become muddy in the continuous rains. The people are forced to sit on the water logged ground. We found pigs and other animals roaming around the place where food was being cooked. There is every likelihood of infections breaking out any day in this camp. When we spoke about this to the Relief Commissioner (southern region) Shri Satyabratha Sahu over telephone, he gave the unacceptable answer that other communities are objecting to the establishment of relief camps in pucca public buildings.  Since these other communities are responsible for the Christians being reduced to refugees in their own land, their objection cannot be a consideration at all. But this is symptomatic of the way the administration is handling the violence.

From the very first day after killing of Lakshmanananda Saraswathi, there have been prohibitory orders in force in the whole of Kandhamal district. All the arson and murders took place during the prevalence of these prohibitory orders. It appears that the prohibitory orders were only useful to prevent the victims from assembling to protect themselves. They were never enforced against the large mobs of assailants. The marks of assaults could be seen in the burnt houses, church and other structures all along the road from Baliguda to G,Udayagiri and elsewhere.

As the administration well knows, the attacks continued to take place even after deployment of para-military forces and assurance given by the State government to the Supreme Court. A series of villages were attacked as recently as 18 September in the Raikia block and even as we were talking to people of Raikia information reached them that the Bajrang Dal planned to attack Sugudbadi, Padunbadi, Gundhami, Gamandi and Sisapanga. Even from other sources we have heard that large scale attacks are likely to take place today (22-9-2008). May be this is a precursor to tomorrow’s programme that is the Kalash Yatra of the slain VHP leader. We have drawn the attention of the DIG of police southern range to this fact and though he assured us that the administration would give all necessary protection, given the fate of complaints made by the victims in the last one month there is reason of apprehension.

We were told by many of the victims that whenever they have given complaints to the local police station the response has been lukewarm. Even when specific names were mentioned, the FIRs were registered against unidentified persons. Even when information about an imminent attack has been given the SHO has not responded with a sense of urgency. These cannot be dismissed as imaginary complaints because the same people have appreciated the action of Rapid Action Force (RAF) in protecting lives and property. One instance is the attack on the village Kritapada in Raikia block.

The slogans uniformly given by the assailants when they looted and burnt villages show that they belong to Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal etc. While some arrests have been made by the police, the victims complain that the main leaders of these organizations are not only not arrested but some of them are on the peace committees set up by the administration. In the villages the same organisations are issuing threats that the victims will not be allowed to come back unless they agree to give up Christianity and convert to Hinduism. This is blatant violation of the constitutional fundamental right of freedom of religion. The administration appears to be helplessly looking on while such blatant suppression is taking place.

The VHP has been campaigning that there have been forcible conversions by the Christian missionaries in this area. On the other hand the victims have complained of forcible conversion by VHP. We will deal this issue in the detailed report that is to follow. For the present all that we need to say is that any forcible conversion is an offence in the eyes of law and can be dealt with by giving an appropriate complaint. Nobody has a right to indulge in mass violence against the Christian community in the name of forcible conversions. On the other hand we are of the opinion that the violence of the last one month is a planned attack on the Christian minority engineered by the Hindutva forces using gullible Adivasis as an instrument. The use of fire arms, petrol and other weapons, the selection of a lengthy route from Jalespeta to Chakapada along Christian habitations, and the blocking of all roads by cutting big trees indicates prior planning. The killing of Lakshmanananda Saraswathi merely gave an opportunity to them. While we do not support the killing of VHP leader, his followers have no right to indulge in mass reprisals and the administration cannot be a mere onlooker.

We place the following demands before the State government:

1.    Visitors should be allowed to meet the inmates of the relief camps.

2.    The camps should be located in pucca structures with protection from sun and rain and in   clean surroundings.

3.    There is an impression that the administration is putting pressure upon the inmates of the camps to go back to their villages. The official number of persons in the camps has been reduced from 27000 to 13000 without the conditions improving at all in the villages. We demand that the camps be continued until the people are able to return and live in freedom and dignity in the villages.

4.    While a number of separate FIRs are registered, it is necessary to realize that the attacks are a consequence of a conspiracy by the VHP, Bajrang Dal etc. The leaders of these organisations must be charged with criminal conspiracy and immediately arrested.

5.    Prompt and effective steps must be taken to prevent recurrence of incidents of violence and create confidence in the Christian population.

PIL filed in Madras High Court

# The Chambre was created by a French Decree in 1934.
# It has godowns, a site near port and office premises to support it financially.
# The Chambre was created by a French Decree in 1934.
# It has godowns, a site near port and office premises to support it financially.

CHENNAI: A public interest litigation alleging irregularities at the Chambre De Commerce in Pondicherry and attempts to defraud it of properties worth Rs. 30 crore has been filed in the Madras High Court.

A vacation Bench comprising Justice Prafulla Kumar Misra and Justice P. Jothimani, before which the matter filed by G. Sukumaran came up for hearing, admitted the plea and ordered notices to the Chief Secretary as well as the Secretaries of the Law and Local Administration Department of Pondicherry.

Mr. Sugumaran, besides seeking steps to make the Chambre beneficial for trade and commerce in the Union Territory, prayed for action against those who had flouted rules by registering the trade body under the Societies Registration Act.

Created by a French Decree in 1934, the Chambre had several godowns, a vacant site near the port and an office premises to support it financially. Office-bearers are elected for six-year terms and elections held in the presence of the Mayor of Pondicherry. Elections were last held in 1969 and the tenure of the office-bearers expired in 1975.

After the death of many members and office-bearers, the Chambre came under the control of a few persons, the petitioner said. When competent authorities were moved to revive the trade body and run it as per law, those controlling it registered it as a society in March 2000. The act was in violation of the French Decree and no Government approval was obtained.

Maintaining that it was an action punishable under various provisions of criminal law, the petitioner said the “intention was to defraud the Chambre of its properties valued at about Rs. 30 crore.”

He alleged “irregularities, fraud, theft and destruction of records, mismanagement,” and wanted initiation of civil and criminal action against persons responsible for the offences.

“In the interest of the trading community and workers, and in order to protect the legacy, tradition and ethos of the Chambre De Commerce,” the court must grant the relief prayed for, Mr. Sugumaran submitted.

The matter was adjourned by four weeks for further proceedings.

The Hindu / 08.05.2006.

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