A week after eight judicial officers of the State government tendered their resignation, the government on Monday appointed four new Additional Advocate-Generals (AAG) and a Government Pleader for the Madras High Court.
The new AAGs are S.T.S. Murthi, V. Ayyadurai, B. Pugalendhi, and C. Manishankhar. M.K. Subramanian has been appointed Government Pleader. In addition to this, the High Court also gets seven Special Government Pleaders and 10 Additional Government Pleaders.
Mr. Murthi, who is a former Government Pleader, hails from Erode district and has a Bar experience of over three decades. He has served as a law officer for more than a decade in the High Court. Mr. Manishankar hails from a family of lawyers and has about 28 years of experience in civil and criminal law, Central Excise and Customs, Constitutional matters. He was a key member of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s defence team in the disproportionate assets case.
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Mr. Ayyadurai hails from an agricultural family and has more than 34 years of Bar experience. He has worked under the guidance of former Advocate-General R. Krishnamoorthy. Mr. Pugalendhi, who has been posted AAG for the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, has 25 years of experience.
However, the government has clarified that all the appointments are subject to the outcome of a writ petition pending before the High Court seeking direction to the Union Ministries of Home, Law and Justice, and the State government to frame rules and guidelines for such appointments.