In a courtroom exchange crackling with disbelief, the Supreme Court on Wednesday tore into the Tamil Nadu government and the Madras High Court’s handling of a senior police officer’s suspension—calling the move “shocking” and “very demoralising.”
The officer in question: Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) HM Jayaram. The trigger: a controversial abduction case tangled in caste tensions, political heat, and a botched arrest.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan minced no words. “He’s a senior officer. If he has joined the investigation, what’s the point of suspending him? You can’t do this,” the bench remarked sharply. The justices directed the State counsel to come back with answers—fast. The matter is now listed for further hearing Thursday.
Jayaram had approached the top court after being thrown into the legal fire by the Madras High Court, which had taken him into custody while hearing an anticipatory bail plea filed by Poovai M. Jagan Moorthy—an MLA from the Puratchi Bharatham Party.
Moorthy, alleged to be part of a retaliatory plan targeting a young boy, was reportedly evading arrest. The High Court ordered both him and Jayaram to appear in person. While Moorthy showed up and was spared arrest, Jayaram found himself in handcuffs—and later suspended.
The Supreme Court, evidently alarmed, questioned the very logic of punishing a senior IPS officer who had allegedly cooperated with investigators. The State insisted Jayaram was never technically arrested. But his counsel countered, saying otherwise. The apex court wants clarity—especially on whether the suspension can now be undone.
At the heart of the case is a teenage boy whose older brother, aged 23, had married a 21-year-old woman from Theni. The problem? The girl’s family didn’t approve. The boy was allegedly abducted soon after, with the mother lodging a complaint that unraveled a larger plot.
The State claims the girl’s father, Vanaraja, sought help from Maheshwari—a dismissed woman constable—who then looped in Jayaram. That, allegedly, led to Moorthy’s involvement. When police moved to arrest Moorthy on June 15, some 2,000 party workers reportedly blocked the action and the MLA slipped away.
More damning is what came next: the boy was dropped off near a bus stand in Jayaram’s official vehicle, allegedly to avoid suspicion. Police say ₹7.5 lakh in cash was recovered. Two individuals—including Maheshwari and a lawyer aligned with Moorthy—have reportedly confessed, linking both Moorthy and Jayaram directly to the crime.
What began as a case of a family’s disapproval over an inter-caste marriage has now spiraled into a legal whirlwind involving a top cop, a fleeing legislator, confessions, cash—and a Supreme Court deeply unimpressed with how the State has handled it all.
