Page 2 - Madras High Court

After Madras HC's nod, PM Modi to hold roadshow in TN's Coimbatore today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow here on Monday, days after Madras High Court green-flagged the event, asking the police to allow it with reasonable conditions. The PM will take out the roadshow in the city's Mettupalayam Road and is likely to end it at RS Puram later today. This will be his first political engagement in the state after the announcement of the seven-phase schedule of the Lok Sabha polls. The district BJP unit had on Friday moved the HC against the local police denying permission to the PM event, citing, among others, the "communally sensitive" nature of the area, and the ongoing public exams. However, the court had dismissed the contentions and asked the police to allow the roadshow with "reasonable conditions", such as erecting no flex boards by the organisers. The BJP, with a newfound vigour under its aggressive state unit president K Annamalai, is making all efforts to make significant inroads into Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian heartland that has ..

Madras High Court issues set of directions on setting up of fuel outlets

The Madras High Court has directed the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO) to conduct due enquiry while granting prior site approval and satisfy themselves that the site, where fuel outlets are to be located, satisfy all the criteria mentioned under relevant rules. According to PESO, formerly known as Department of Explosives, it is the nodal agency for regulating safety of hazardous substances such as explosives, compressed gas and petroleum. The first bench comprising Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy gave the directive in a recent order while disposing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate VBR Menon, which among other things sought a direction to the authorities to formulate and notify, within a prescribed time limit, appropriate site inspection and verification procedures for adherence while issuing prior site approvals and final explosive licences in Form No.XIV to the Petroleum Retail Outlets. The bench said for ...

Supreme Court agrees to hear startups' plea against Google's billing policy

The bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, however, refused to pass any interim orders protecting the startups from being removed from Google's Play Store

'Not a picnic spot': Madras HC on entry of non-Hindus in Palani temples

'The temple is not a picnic spot or tourist spot, said the Madras High Court

Madras HC dismisses appeals by tech firms against Google billing policy

Tech companies raised concerns over Google's new service fee, which ranged between 11-26% for using third-party billing systems

HC sentences TN Minister Ponmudi to 3 yrs of simple imprisonment in DA case

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Madras HC set aside the trial court's ruling that cleared Ponmudi of charges in the DA case

Madras HC convicts ex-IPS officer Sampath Kumar in Dhoni's contempt plea

The Madras High Court on Friday imposed a punishment of 15 days' simple imprisonment on retired IPS officer G Sampath Kumar in a contempt of court case filed by former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. A division bench comprising Justices S S Sundar and Sunder Mohan found Sampath Kumar guilty of committing criminal contempt. "However, taking into consideration the credentials of the respondent (Sampath Kumar), as projected by him in his written statement as well in the reply affidavit, this court, showing lenience, restricts the punishment for a period of 15 days." "Even though a request is not received from the side of the respondent, this court is inclined to exercise its power under section 19 (3) of the Contempt of Courts Act and suspend the execution of punishment imposed on the respondent by this court, for a period of 30 days" (to enable him file an appeal). In his contempt petition, Dhoni sought to punish Sampath Kumar for the remarks made by him against the

HC rejects I-T reassessment proceedings beyond four-year limitation period

The ruling was given on a writ petition filed by an assessee challenging the reopening notice on capital gains issued by the income tax authorities

Madras High Court sets aside govt's IGST refund denial order for Lenovo

The case is related to a partial denial of refunding IGST paid by Lenovo (India) on these sales between December 2019 and February 2020

Madras HC rejects bail plea of TN Minister Balaji in money laundering case

The Madras High Court on Thursday dismissed the bail petition of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case. Justice G Jayachandran dismissed the bail petition of Senthil Balaji. The judge observed that since the brother of the petitioner was absconding and the petitioner was holding the post of a Minister without portfolio, he may likely tamper with witnesses. Balaji was arrested on June 14 by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during the earlier AIADMK regime.

Petition against me because of ideological differences: Udhayanidhi to HC

A plea against his holding of public office in the light of his alleged anti-Sanatana Dharma remarks was due to ideological differences, with the petitioner being a Hindu right wing outfit, DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has told the Madras High Court. Senior counsel P Wilson, representing Udhayanidhi, also said Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to practice and propagate religion, also "gives the right to people to practice and propagate atheism." Article 25 read with Article 19(1)(A) (freedom of expression) clearly protects the Minister's speech, Wilson submitted before Justice Anita Sumanth on Monday. Right wing outfit Hindu Munnani had filed a quo warranto, challenging Udhayanidhi's holding of public office in view of his alleged remarks against Sanatana Dharma at an event last month. Wilson further submitted that the petitioners have filed this case because DMK is antithetical to their ideology and stands for Dravidian ideology an

MCX gets Sebi approval to launch new commodity derivatives platform

MCX had initially intended to introduce the CDP on October 3. However, they have not revealed the new launch date yet

SC/ST, OBC quota would not apply to minority institutions: Madras HC

The Madras High Court has held that the concept of communal reservation or reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes of citizens would not apply to minority institutions. The first bench comprising Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice P D Audikesavalu gave the ruling while partly allowing an appeal and a petition from Justice Basheer Ahmed Syed College for Women (Autonomous) in the city, assailing a November 2021 order, rejecting the extension of religious minority status to the college. The college also sought a direction to issue the Permanent Religious Minority status certificate. Though reservation was made applicable to the socially and educationally Backward Classes of citizens, the SCs and the STs for admission, from the educational institutions, the minority educational institutions were consciously excluded from the operation of Article 15(5) of the Constitution of India, the bench said. It noted that Article 15(5) of the Constitut

SC collegium recommends 5 additional permanent judges for Madras HC

The Supreme collegium headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Thursday recommended the names of five additional judges for appointment as permanent judges of the Madras High Court. The collegium, which also comprises Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, met today. The collegium's decision was uploaded on the apex court's website later in the day. The five additional judges whose names have been recommended are --Justices A A Nakkiran, Nidumolu Mala, S Sounthar, Sunder Mohan, and Kabali Kumaresh Babu. On June 20, 2023, the collegium of the Madras High Court had unanimously recommended their appointment as permanent judges of that high court. The chief minister and the governor of Tamil Nadu have concurred in the above recommendation, the apex court collegium said in a statement. "In terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, we have consulted a judge of the Supreme Court conversant with the functioning of the Madras High Court with a view to ascertain the ..

Madras Bar Association passes resolution against renaming of IPC, CrPC, IEA

While introducing the bills, Home Minister Amit Shah said the soul of these three new laws will be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to the citizens

Madras HC temporarily restrains Google from delisting apps of startups

Order will apply if firms pay 4% of gross revenue of downloads from Play Store and share data for it with Google

SC dismisses plea of Senthil Balaji against HC order allowing ED custody

A bench of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh while dismissing the plea of Balaji allowed his custodial interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate in cash for a job scam

SC stays HC order that declared MP Ravindhranath's election invalid

The Supreme Court has stayed a Madras High Court order that declared as "null and void" the 2019 election of expelled AIADMK member P Ravindhranath from Tamil Nadu's Theni parliamentary constituency. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta admitted the appeal filed by Ravindhranath against the high court order for hearing and issued notice to P Milany, who filed the petition challenging his election from the Theni constituency. "Meanwhile, operation of the impugned judgment and order dated July 6, 2023, passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras, shall remain stayed. Resultantly, the appellant (P Ravindhranath) shall be allowed to continue as a Member of Parliament of the 17th Lok Sabha for all intents and purposes till further orders," the bench said in an order passed on Friday. Ravindhranath is the son of deposed AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam. Milany alleged before the high court that Ravindhranath suppressed various materials

HC directs NLC to pay Rs 40,000 per acre as compensation to farmers in TN

The Madras High Court on Wednesday fixed a sum of Rs 40,000 per acre towards damage caused to the standing crops on account of Paravanar Canal Diversion activities carried out by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) in Cuddalore district. The court also directed the affected farmers to approach the authorities, who in turn, shall pay the compensation amount on or before August 6, 2023. Justice S M Subramaniam passed the interim order and posted to August 7, further hearing of the petition filed by Murugan, seeking to restrain the authorities from interfering and disturbing the peaceful possession till harvest of the paddy grown in the agriculture field of the petitioner. The judge said there was no dispute on the legal position that on the completion of the process of acquisition proceedings, the land absolutely vests with the government and thereafter the erstwhile owners of the land have no right to enter into the property. However, in the present case, cultivation is going on f

Madras High Court directs police to take action on old age home issue

The Madras high court has directed the police to immediately take action against persons who are causing disturbance in running an old age home in the city. Disposing of a petition filed by M/s Athulya Assisted Living Pvt.Ltd, Justice N Anand Venkatesh in his recent order said if required, protection shall also be given to the petitioner to ensure that no one interferes with the running of the Old Age Home. The direction was given to the Inspector of Police, Pallavaram Police Station. The petitioner submitted he was running the home and was providing health care services for the elderly people. He had obtained a necessary license in this regard. Senior Counsel Abudu Kumar, appearing for the petitioner submitted that persons in and around the place were causing threat to the petitioner and were bent upon causing problems following which he filed a police complaint recently. Though FIR was registered the threat perspective continues and hence, the petitioner approached the court, h