Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Judgement at 10.05 p.m.

MADURAI: It does not happen often as it did on Saturday, a holiday for the Madras High Court Bench here. A petition was filed at 5 p.m., notice was served on a Government Pleader at his residence at 6.20 p.m., the case was taken up for hearing at 8.20 p.m. and the judge pronounced his verdict at five past 10 p.m.

P. Rathinam (62), a practising lawyer in the Bench, had filed the case to quash an order, passed by the Melur Deputy Superintendent of Police on Friday, refusing permission to inaugurate a library named after B.R. Ambedkar at Chennagarampatti near Melavalavalu in Melur Taluk here on Sunday.

Claiming that the DSP’s order was served on him only at 12.15 p.m. on Saturday, the petitioner contacted the Chief Justice’s office over phone and urged him to depute a judge to hear the matter as a special case. Immediately, the Registrar (Judicial) N. Seshasayee came to the court and made arrangements for taking up the case.

Justice R.S. Ramanathan heard petitioner’s counsel T. Lajapathi Roy as well as Special Government Pleader Pazha Ramasamy at length before granting permission for the inauguration function scheduled for Sunday. However, he ordered that the participants should not make any speeches that might incite communal ill feelings.

The Judge said that the function could be held between 11 am and 1 pm. The organisers could unveil portraits of Dr. Ambedkar and two Dalits who were hacked to death in the village on July 5, 1992. They could also receive books from the donors. Thereafter, they might carry on with a feast which should be completed before 3 pm.

The police were permitted to record the proceedings on video and provide sufficient force to ensure maintenance of law and order. The Judge made it clear that the law enforcing authorities were at liberty to take appropriate action if they happen to come across any objectionable happenings during the inaugural function.

When the petitioner’s counsel sought for a copy of the order at 10 a.m. on Sunday, the Judge said: “I am ready to sign the order even at 12 midnight provided my personal assistant types it out. You can get it tomorrow.”

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Judgement at 10.05 p.m.

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