A-G orders notice to R.S. Bharathi on contempt plea

Advocate General Vijay Narayan on Friday ordered notice to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) organising secretary R.S. Bharathi on a plea seeking consent for initiating criminal contempt of court proceedings for his reported remark that some persons from the Scheduled Castes became judges because of alms provided by former Chief Minister Karunanidhi. The notice was ordered after hearing Naveen Kumar Murthi, counsel for the petitioner A. Antony Raj who claimed that Mr. Bharathi had made “very offensive, demeaning and derogatory” remarks against those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and also against judges in a speech delivered during a meet organised by Kalaignar Circle in Chennai on February 14.

While civil contempt of court petitions would be listed directly before the judges concerned, it was mandatory to obtain the A-G’s consent before listing criminal contempt of court petitions before a Division Bench of the court. Such consent had been made compulsory under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971 to avoid frivolous petitions.

On listing of such pleas seeking consent, the A-G had been adopting the practice of ordering notice to the other side and calling them up for a hearing either in person or through a lawyer. Only after hearing both sides, a call would be taken on granting consent. In the case of Mr. Bharathi, the A-G had listed the plea, seeking consent, for hearing on June 12.