MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently granted anticipatory bail to seven persons attached to the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) in a case registered against them for organising meetings in which abusive and threatening remarks were made against High Court and Supreme Court judges.
The remarks were made last March during two TNTJ meetings held in Madurai and Ramanathapuram to condemn the Karnataka High Court's Hijab verdict.
Hearing their anticipatory bail petitions, Justice K Murali Shankar observed, "No doubt, everyone can express their view, opinion, or comments or even criticise the judgments of the courts, but that must be within the limits of reasonable courtesy and good faith. Undoubtedly, the judgments are open to criticism, but no person can be permitted to overstep the limits of fair, bonafide and reasonable criticism of a judgment."
However, since the main speakers were already granted bail, and the petitioners tendered an unconditional apology after giving an undertaking that they would never organise or take part in any meetings or agitations against the judges and the Indian judiciary, the judge allowed their petitions with certain conditions.