Madras high court dismisses contempt plea moved by Tamil Nadu minister SP Velumani against NGO – Times of India

CHENNAI: Terming it as an utterly frivolous petition, the Madras high court on Friday dismissed a plea moved by Tamil Nadu local administration minister S P Velumani seeking contempt of court action against Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO.
Velumani alleged that reports accusing him of corruption in awarding contracts of Chennai and Coimbatore corporations were being published continuously by the NGO in social media in violation of a court order.
“At the outset, the contempt petition is politically motivated and an abuse of the process of this court,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy said while refusing to entertain the plea.
Though the court ordered a token cost of Rs 10 to be paid by the minister to any charitable organisation of his choice, it was later revoked on the request of senior counsel A R L Sundaresan representing the minister.
The bench also made it clear that there was no embargo or a gag order against anyone against levelling such allegations and broadcasting the same.
The petitioner, who is the AIADMK candidate in Thondamuthur assembly constituency in the upcoming assembly election, said the NGO had filed a PIL seeking direction to the DVAC to register an FIR based on its complaint of corruption against him.
On October 18, 2019 a division bench of the court appointed superintendent of police Ponni attached to the DVAC to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Accordingly, the officer completed the inquiry and forwarded the report to the state government for further action, the petitioner said.
After due examination, on January 22, 2020 the state decided to drop further action in the matter based on the preliminary inquiry report and requested the division bench of the court to close the petition, he added.
Considering the ensuing election to the state assembly scheduled on April 6, the bench adjourned further hearing of the plea to April 21. The court also made it clear that mere pending of the case should not be regarded as any adverse inference being drawn against the minister, the petitioner said.
While so, the NGO that is the petitioner in the writ petition, was indulging in casting aspersions against the minister in the guise of spreading awareness during the elections, the minister said.
Pointing out to various social media posts made by the NGO, the petitioner alleged that Arappor Iyakkam was using the same materials placed before the court to make contemptuous allegations against him in social media.
Therefore, the minister wanted the court to punish the NGO and its office-bearers for wilful disobedience of the court order.