CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has rejected a writ plea to implement fully the TN Subordinate Police Officers Conduct Rules, 1964 by restraining police personnel from the business of lending and borrowing money without prior permission from the government.
“The PIL has been filed purely on the basis of newspaper reports. No judicial notice can be taken on newspaper report in the absence of the maker of the report appearing in court and deposing to have perceived the facts.
This principle of law has been laid down by the Supreme Court and has been reiterated in a catena of decisions taken thereafter.
“Moreover, before entertaining a PIL, the court has to be satisfied about the credentials of the petitioner, prima facie correctness or nature of information given by him and the information being not vague and indefinite, as held by the Supreme Court.
“In the case on hand, this court cannot take judicial notice of the newspaper report and the grounds urged are certainly vague and indefinite. The petitioner has not brought to the notice of this court any specific instance of money lending or borrowing with documents to establish the said plea.
“We do not find any justification to entertain the present writ petition,” the first Bench of acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice RMT Teekka Raman said and dismissed the PIL from advocate A G Narasimhan.