CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday adjourned to February 4 the hearing in a suo motu contempt case concerning an allegedly derogatory book targeting a sitting judge, after the Tamil Nadu police submitted an action taken report stating that no such book was published or circulated at the Chennai Book Fair.
A division bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan took on record the report filed by the Saidapet police, detailing steps taken in compliance with the court’s earlier directions.
As per the report, the police teams carried out inspections at the YMCA Grounds, the venue of the Chennai Book Fair, including the specific stalls named in the petition. No objectionable book, caricature or pictorial representation was found.
Summons were issued to the Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association of South India and the publishers named in the petition, all of whom denied publishing or selling any such book.
Recording the submissions, the court adjourned the matter to February 4.