HC directs police to provide escort to student

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today directed Pudukottai police to provide escort to a law college student, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, to enable him write his examination.
Justice P N Prakash, in his interim order, directed the police to find out from the Tiruchi law college if the petitioner was eligible to write the examination according to University rules and regulations.
"If he had received the hall ticket, then he should be allowed to write the examination with police escort to the examination hall and back to jail", the judge said.

The escort charges should be paid by the petitioner N Chellappan who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment under Protection of Children from Sexual offences Act on March 25.
The Judge said that the court was aware that the petitioner could not be released either on emergency or ordinary leave in view of the pendency of criminal appeal before the High court. "At the same time, the petitioner's counsel says that his career would be spoilt if he was not allowed to write the examination. Therefore, the court had to strike a balance", the judge said.
If the petitioner is entitled to get hall ticket, then it should be issued to him irrespective of the conviction and sentence imposed on him, the Judge said. The conviction should not stand in the way of his writing the examination.

The judge also directed the mother and another relative of the petitioner to furnish a security bond for a sum of Rs 10,000 each to the Superintendent of Police of Central Prison in Tiruchirappalli.