CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to grant leave to film director Susi Ganesan — who sought to file a writ appeal against an order of a single judge regarding impoundment of poet-filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s passport — citing the Supreme Court’s direction that the trial in the criminal defamation case be completed within four months, even without the accused’s presence.
The first bench of the then Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the orders recently on a leave application filed by the director. The (trial) court has been directed to proceed without the presence of the accused; but as and when the presence is necessary, summons/notice may be issued within a reasonable time, the bench said.
Noting that Ganesan sought to challenge the same order by seeking leave alleging a delay in completing the trial, the bench said it does not find any substance in the arguments. “Leave for that reason cannot be granted. Accordingly, the application is dismissed. Consequently, the writ appeal is rejected at the SR stage,” the bench said.