CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday reserved its orders on Puducherry Local Administration Minister A Namassivayam’s petition seeking to declare the appointment of a State Election Commissioner (SEC) by Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Kiran Bedi in the Union Territory as null and void.
A division bench heard arguments from senior counsel Satish Parasaran, who appeared for the petitioner, V Chandrasekaran, counsel for the Lieutenant Governor, and Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan.
According to the petitioner, the appointment action by the L-G was unconstitutional, because of the displacement of a lawfully appointed SEC was done with the mala fide intention of delaying elections in Puducherry, and in defiance of Supreme Court mandate.
V Chandrasekaran, in his submissions, pointed out that every Union Territory is administered by the President to an extent through an administrator appointed by him and also the order of the Centre to appoint an SEC through a free and fair process cannot be questioned by the council of ministers. The court reserved its orders on the plea.
Senthil Balaji appears before special court
Chennai: Former Minister Senthil Balaji on Thursday appeared before the special court after summons in a case filed by Central Crime Branch (CCB), in a recruitment scam. The case was adjourned for hearing on March 3.
Appointment of interim administrator set aside
Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday set aside a judgment appointing retired Justice P Shanmugam as an interim administrator of Pachaiyappa’s Trust Board. It was set aside by the bench of Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Subramonium Prasad. Justice R Suresh Kumar, through an order on December 17, had appointed P Shanmugam after making various modifications to the existing scheme of working of the trust. On an appeal alleging procedural violations in the appointment. The bench referred the matter back to the same single-member bench and directed it to decide the matter after giving opportunity to the parties involved in the case, to exchange affidavits.