CHENNAI: A PIL petition has been filed in the Madras High Court for a direction to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to upload in its website the information relating to the candidates contesting the March 28 elections including their criminal antecedents and contributions to Law.The petition from advocate V Vasanthakumar also prayed for a declaration that the blanket ban on canvassing through social media for the election as arbitrary.
According to the petitioner, the Returning Officer appointed to hold the election on March 9 issued a notice imposing a ban on the candidates from issuing manifestos and canvassing through social media. The ban is arbitrary and violative of the constitutional rights. “The bilingual notice issued on March 9 is against the well-settled principles of law and natural justice. It virtually curtails the ambit and scope of freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a) and 21 of the Constitution,” the petitioner contended.
The notice would only pave the way for the erstwhile elected members of the council to get re-elected by virtue of their familiarity and popularity with the various bar associations. If a contestant follows the rules verbatim, he would have to travel throughout the State and Puducherry in person or send his representatives, involving huge expenses. With the advent of technology, it is not only fair but also prudent to allow prospective candidates to showcase their respective competence to all members of the bar via the social media, he added.The plea is likely to be heard on Tuesday.
No more burial of bodies on patta land
Chennai: No more bodies shall be buried at the patta land in Thuraipakkam, which was used for cremation of bodies, the Madras High Court has held. The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose gave the direction while disposing of a PIL petition from Thuraipakkam Muthanmai Paguthi Kudiyirupor Nala Sangam on Monday. The PIL petition prayed for a directive to the Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai and other authorities to remove the encroachments on the cremation ground. Since the property in question is a patta land, no more bodies shall be cremated or buried. The Corporation shall inspect the area and investigate how many bodies were buried and the area over which they were buried and must segregate the area. Rest of the land may be allowed to be used by the owners, the bench said.