The Madras High Court today reserved orders on suo motu contempt proceedings in the case relating to the protest by police in a court of the Puducherry Chief Judge in 2008 after 22 police personnel appeared before it and an unconditional apology was tendered by then SP.
On behalf of all the police personnel, then Superintendent of Police N Sivadasan submitted before the bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sathish K Agnihotri and Justice K K Sasidharan, an unconditional apology and also assured the Court that it will not happen in future.
Senior Advocate Arvind P Dattar, who was appointed as amicus curiae by the court, submitted that it was an aberration and what happened was most unfortunate and wrong.
He also submitted that it happened for the first time and it should not recur. Then the bench posed the question to the senior counsel, "What will be your suggestion?".
After that bench also warned that it would view seriously if such things happened in future and reserved its orders on the suo motu contempt proceedings.
Some police personnel had staged a dharna in the court verandah of the Chief Judge, Puducherry, on December 19, 2008 after he rejected the bail plea of sub-inspector Sridhar, who was arrested by CBI under Prevention of Corruption Act.
In the above case, one advocate by name A Ambalavanan was shown as second accused. The Chief Judge while granting bail to the advocate had rejected the bail application of the SI.
The incident was taken up suo motu by the Madras High Court which directed the Chief Judge to submit his report on the incident. The report of the Chief Judge alleged that there was some conspiracy and police personnel were instigated by higher-ups to stage the protest.
After perusing the report, the High Court had yesterday directed 23 police personnel to appear. 22 police personnel appeared today. A Home Guard jawan has quit and settled abroad.
