Former president of Madurai bench High Court Advocates Association W Peter Ramesh Kumar, one of 14 lawyers suspended by Bar Council of India, today sought in- camera hearing when he appeared before the division bench in connection with suo motu criminal contempt petiton against him for allegedly disrupting court proceedings on September 16.
Justices V Ramasubramanian and N Kirubakaran agreed to the in-camera hearing following his oral submission,though they initially wanted him to give in writing the need for in- camera hearing, which they said is normal procedure followed.
After the in-camera hearing, the Judges returned to the court hall.
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Justice Ramasubramanian said "we are telling this to all the young advocates who are here and who might be under the presumption that during in-camera meeting he (Peter Ramesh Kumar) would have made allegation against a judge. That is not so. He dare not make allegation against any judge. We don't, however, want to let you know what transpired during the in- camera hearing for the benefit of Peter Ramesh Kumar."
The HC bench has issued a suo motu criminal contempt of court notice to Kumar, former president of the Madurai Bench High Court Advocates Association, for reportedly disrupting the court proceedings on September 16 and "challenging the court to take action against him if it had guts."
The Deputy Registrar (Judicial) had issued a notice stating that a division bench of Justices R Sudhakar and V M Velumani had directed the Registry to issue it, asking him why show cause as to why action should not be taken against him for committing acts of contempt.
The contempt case was listed before a division bench of Justices Ramasubramanian and Kirubakaran on November 30.
Peter Ramesh Kumar had said he did not get documents relating to the contempt proceedings, following which the court directed the Registrar to give them to him and posted the case for hearing today.
Kumar and Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry chairman D Selvam had a heated exchange on September 16 on the issue of the arrest of 12 lawyers in Chennai for protesting inside the Chief Justice's court hall, demanding declaration of Tamil as the official language of the court.
When Justice Sudhakar intervened and warned the protesting lawyers of stern action, Kumar had reportedly challenged the court to take action against him if it had the 'guts.'
Kumar was one of the 14 lawyers suspended by Bar Council of India on September 22.
