The Madras High Court closed the habeas corpus case concerning the arrest of eight Samsung workers on October 9, following confirmation that the workers had been released. Additional public prosecutor A Dhamodharan, representing the police, informed the court that the workers were released after the Sriperumbudur judicial magistrate denied police custody for six of them. The petition for their release was filed by Muthukumar, district secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and president of the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU).
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
The eight workers were arrested during a late-night crackdown on October 9, taken from their homes. While two of the workers were remanded to judicial custody in Vellore prison, the remaining six were released after the magistrate’s refusal to approve police custody. On October 10, CITU secured bail for the two workers in custody, though their release from Vellore prison remains unclear.
The workers, including SIWU general secretary P Ellan, were detained after being forcibly removed from the protest site. The police justified the action by stating that the landowner had filed a complaint. Reports indicate that the detained workers were taken away in police vehicles and held in various marriage halls across the area.
Charges and Allegations
The police charged the arrested workers, identified as Rajaboopathy, Ashiq Ahamed, Balaji, Shanmugam, Mohanraj, Anandan, and Sivanesan, under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act. The charges include rioting, public obscenity, assault on a public servant, criminal intimidation, and abetment of a crime.
Despite the serious charges, the court closed the habeas corpus case after learning about the workers’ release, citing no further need for court intervention. However, the court reiterated its earlier ruling that workers must be allowed to strike peacefully.
Political Fallout
The handling of the worker protests has led to growing criticism of the ruling DMK party. Even the DMK’s allies in Tamil Nadu, including the CPI(M) and the VCK, have strongly condemned the actions taken against the protesting workers. These political tensions add to the ongoing labor dispute at Samsung’s Sriperumbudur plant, where workers continue to demand better pay and working conditions despite police intervention.
The closure of the case marks the end of a legal chapter but raises questions about how worker rights and protests are being managed in the state. The protest itself is part of a larger movement by Samsung workers who have been striking for over a month.
