Chennai sanitation workers, lawyers released from detention
Following a Madras High Court order, the workers and their legal supporters were released, with conditions on media and social media interaction
All the protesting Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) sanitation workers, who were detained by the police in the late hours of Wednesday (August 13), were released on Thursday evening from the detention centres.
A Madras High Court order also directed the immediate release of four lawyers — K Bharathi, K Suresh, Mohan Babu, and R Raj Kumar — and two law students — Muthuselvan and Valarmathi — from police custody. They were also arrested on Wednesday night.
They have been released on the condition that they would refrain from giving press interviews, statements, or posting on social media about the issue until the next hearing on August 21.
Also read: Chennai sanitation workers detained over protest against privatisation; women released
Protest and detention
The workers were detained after they staged a protest for 13 days against the GCC’s move to privatise solid waste management services in several zones. While the female workers were released on Thursday morning, the men remained in detention at community halls. However, the women protestors did not leave the detention centres.
The workers, employed under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), have been demanding job security and a rollback of the privatisation plans.
The Madras High Court earlier directed the police to remove the protesters from the Ripon Building premises, citing public inconvenience and traffic disruptions.