Tamil Nadu police pulled up in Khushboo case

Chennai, Nov 24 (IANS) Madras High Court Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu director general of police to file a report on why protests were allowed in the state against actress Khushboo and director Suhasini Maniratnam, who are in the midst of a controversy over their comments on pre-marital sex.

The court passed the order on a petition by advocate Surya Prakash seeking a direction to the police to stop the demonstrations that, he said, were "hindering normal life in the state".

A division bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla wanted to know from the police how violent demonstrations were allowed against two women, especially within a courthouse, in a state where women were said to be safe.

The judges posted the petition for further hearing on Dec 2.

Khushboo has been facing criticism and protests from political parties like the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Dalit Panthers of India since September when her opinion on pre-marital sex was published in India Today magazine as part of an all-India survey it conducted.

Khusboo had said it was all right for girls to have pre-marital sex as long as safe sex practices were adopted.

Suhasini, wife of director Maniratnam, too faced criticism for supporting Khushboo's right to freedom of expression.

The two women have nearly 40 defamation cases against them filed by political activists. Last week, protestors threw tomatoes, eggs and slippers when Khushboo appeared in a Mettur court in connection with one such case.