Failing to respond to a contempt notice issued by the Supreme Court on the Sethusamudram issue, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu and four others could face heat of the law.
The Supreme Court on Monday slaps M Karunanidhi, T R Baalu, Chief Secretary, DGP and two others and threatened to issue arrest warrant against them for ignoring its contempt notice in a case related to a state-wide shutdown on October 1 last Year that was organised by the DMK government in Tamil Nadu despite the court’s direction restraining to do so.
However, along with the tight slap, the bench comprising Justices B N Aggarwal and G S Singhvi granted them another four weeks as the last opportunity to file fresh replies to the show cause notice issued by it.
Two officials-chief secretary and DG-though had filed their replies on July 30, but the duo denied the allegations that they had any hand in deliberate contempt of the Supreme Court’s order.
The bench made a stern comment on Karunanidhi and Baalu for not filing replies on July 30 despite seeking four weeks time earlier. Earlier, they had sought one-month time to file their replies on March 31. Regretting that the Tamil Nadu Government has been repeatedly seeking time and adjournments without any proper reason, the bench took a serious view saying that ''What type of people are you? Are you above law? Will you dictate this court also? We will issue arrest warrants against the Chief Minister and seek his personal appearance in the court.”
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo and Opposition leader J Jayalalithaa had filed a contempt notice against Karunanidhi alleging that the State Government had ignored the Supreme Court’s order.
The Apex Court had issued a contempt notices on Karunanidhi, Baalu and others in October last year for ignoring the bench’s direction and organising a day long statewide bandh on October 1, 2007. But only the Chief Secretary and DGP filed their replies on July 30.
The Apex Court also threatened to recommend the President to dismiss the state government at that time.
It is to be noted here that Supreme Court had halted the construction work at the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project after a numerous petitions were filed by different sections seeking order for prohibition of demolition of the Ram Sethu or Adam’s Bridge.
The DMK ruling Tamil Nadu Government had then called a statewide bandh on October 1 to press for the speedy implementation of the 560-million dollar Sethusamudram Project approved by the Government in 2005.
|
|
Comments:
