Chennai, June 12 -- The Madras high court has said that district revenue officials and police officers cannot conduct kangaroo courts in the guise of peace committee meetings to resolve caste disputes across Tamil Nadu and added that as government officials they are bound to protect the constitutional rights of citizens.

Justice P Velmurugan made the remarks while passing orders on a plea that was filed by two petitioners from Perambalur district. The plea sought a peace committee meeting, which was held on June 3 by local authorities, to be quashed as "illegal and unconstitutional with respect to continuing discriminatory practices" against the Dalits by denying them access to chariot procession of the deity during the ongoing Shree Ved...