Atmosphere not conducive in Madras High Court, says plea in Supreme Court
Contending that the atmosphere in the Madras High Court was not conducive for conducting proceedings on writ petitions filed by the three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the G.K. Moopanar Peravai has moved the Supreme Court for transferring the petitions to itself or to some other High Court for further adjudication.
L.K. Venkat, president of the Peravai, affiliated to the Congress, who has filed this petition through advocates V.N. Raghupathy and S. Nandakumar, said acting on the writ petitions filed by Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, the High Court had stayed their execution scheduled for September 9. On August 30, when the matter was heard in the High Court, over 5,000 supporters gathered in and outside the court campus and interfered with the judicial function and disturbed the proceedings.
The petitioner said the mob, which gathered inside the court hall, raised slogans in support of the three convicts. This was unethical and improper, especially in the court. Judges who heard the matter were helpless on the attitude of the people inside the hall. In the Madurai Bench, a mob even closed the gate. Various leaders were supporting the convicts, so there was a possibility of undue influence to interfere with the judicial function.
The petitioner said that to ensure fair and free justice, the writ petitions should be transferred to the Supreme Court or to any other High Court having competent jurisdiction.
It is really foolish to state that a case needs to be shifted to another jurisdiction just because there are peaceful demonstrations for or against the convicted. The courts in India need to be more secure with regard to terror attacks and that is the need of the hour. The support for the 3 convicts in Tamilnadu reflects the general mood of the tamilians. If such a change of jurisdiction is even imagined plausible, then there is a greater danger of inter-State conflicts. The Supreme Court should now take the sentiments of the Tamils seriously and abandon the idea of executing these convicts.
Since the attorney of record who filed the petition is Mr. Ram Jethmalani, Advocate Extra-ordinaire, this mercy petition should be transferred to the Supreme Court itself. In the Madras High Court even lawyers are politically agitating and mis-behaving even within the Court Halls.
It is high time that the killers of Rajiv gandhi be sent to gallows and they don't deserve any pardon or mercy.If any remission is allowed it will only encourage the similar incidents not only in Tamilnadu but also around the country.we can not waste tax payers money for keeping the culprits behind bars for long. the final judgement should be made at the earliest and law to take the final course.
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