Seeman petitions to combine FIRs in Madras High Court

S. Seeman, the chief coordinator of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), has filed a petition in the Madras High Court. He wants the court to combine 50 separate First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against him regarding a speech he made criticizing Periyar, the founder of Dravida Kazhagam. Seeman, 58, made his remarks during a speech in Vadalur on January 8, 2025. He claims his comments were based on facts and were not meant to defame Periyar. He has received notices from police in multiple districts, including Erode, Madurai, and Thanjavur, summoning him for inquiries. In his affidavit, Seeman mentioned that complaints were lodged by members of a specific political organization. He expressed frustration that the police have not shared details about the complaints and that the FIRs are difficult for him to access online. Seeman argues that his speech simply recounted facts from Periyar's own writings and speeches. He maintains that he did not intend to offend anyone and believes that the multiple FIRs are an abuse of legal process. He has asked the Home Secretary and Director General of Police to merge all the FIRs into one and appoint a single officer to investigate the matter fairly. He also requested a stop to being summoned by different police stations for questioning.