CHENNAI: Chennai City Police Commissioner S George on Wednesday tendered his unconditional apology in connection with a contempt of court case seeking to punish him for his alleged failure to carry out the court’s earlier orders relating to installation of Vinayaka idols in public places.
“At the outset, it is submitted that this respondent (Commissioner) has great respect to the orders of this court and never violated or intend to violate the orders passed by the court. However, if this court concludes that this respondent has committed contempt of court, I hereby tender my unconditional apology and pray to purge me out of the contempt proceedings,’’ George submitted in his counter-affidavit filed in response to a contempt application filed by social activist ‘Traffic’ K R Ramaswamy.
While ordering notice on the contempt application earlier, the first bench of Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan had directed the Police Commissioner to file his counter. However, an assistant commissioner filed the counter in the morning. To avoid his summoning, the Commissioner filed the counter in the afternoon.
By the orders dated August 11 last, the bench had directed the police to organise religious functions properly, causing least inconvenience to the residents both in terms of decibel level of the speakers as well as any passage from one place to the other and simultaneously maintain the law and order situation. Contending that this direction had not been properly followed, Ramaswamy filed the present contempt application. The police had granted permission to install a Vinayaka idol right on the middle of Venkatanarayana Road in T Nagar, he had alleged.
In his counter, the commissioner submitted that the road is a broad one. There was no obstruction to regular traffic. No complaint had been received from the local residents. In fact, they had welcomed the installation. All efforts had been taken to maintain law and order situation, the counter added.
Accepting the submissions, the bench closed the contempt petition.