Everyone could express his or her views, opinions and comments or even criticise the court judgments, but they must be reasonable and in good faith, observed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.
Granting anticipatory bail to seven Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) functionaries — two from Madurai and five from Ramanathapuram district — who participated in protests against the Karnataka High Court judgment in the Hijab issue, Justice K. Murali Shankar observed that judgments were open to criticism, but no person could be permitted to overstep the limits of fair, bona fide and reasonable criticism.
Protests were organised by the TNTJ functionaries in various parts of the State, including Madurai and Ramanathapuram, following the Karnataka High Court’s judgment upholding the ban on Hijab in educational institutions. The protest in Madurai was held on March 17 and in Thiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district on March 18.
The State submitted that the speakers at the protests not only threatened the Karnataka High Court judges, but also the Supreme Court judges who were about to hear the appeal preferred against the judgment. A reference was made to the death of an Additional District Judge in Dhanbad who was intentionally run over by an autorickshaw.
The petitioners, Asan Basha and Habibullah of Madurai and Al Malik Baizul, Syed Naina, Yasar Arabath, Seeni Umar Kathar and Althaf Usain of Ramanathapuram district submitted the undertaking affidavits stating that in future they would not conduct, participate or organise any such meetings or agitations against the judges and the judiciary.
The court said that it was inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioners with certain conditions. They were directed to remain in their respective places and report before the local police daily till further orders.
