CHENNAI: Coimbatore-based DMK MLA N Karthick has moved the HC to initiate contempt proceeding against the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police for intentionally not complying with the court orders relating to erection of unauthorised hoardings and banners in Coimbatore during MGR centenary celebrations on December 3 last.
Originally, Karthik had filed a petition to remove the illegal, unauthorised and unpermitted hoardings, arches, banners and flex boards erected across Coimbatore by the cadre and office-bearers of the AIADMK for the centenary celebrations. He had alleged that the illegal banners proved fatal to an NRI software engineer, who allegedly died, hit by a structure protruding from an arch in Singanallur on November 26.
After observing that erection of arches, placards and display boards, banners with poles abutting into public streets and pavements, which obstructed the free and safe movement of traffic and pedestrians or obstructed the visibility of drivers, was patently illegal, the court on November 30 directed the authorities to immediately remove them all.
Claiming that even after several reminders about the HC order, the authorities have failed to remove banners and initiate action against offenders, Karthik said, “The government being a role model in implementing court orders ought to have strictly complied with the directions and observations made by the HC. But there is a total deliberate failure in complying with order of this court and the same amounts to a contempt of court.”
The officials who granted permits to erect the banners and the persons who erected the banners in violation of the order shall be liable to be punished under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, he added.