MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday referred a petition filed by a massage centre owner, seeking exemption from installing CCTV cameras at his centre, to the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court for placing it before a larger bench.
Justice GR Swaminathan made the decision after the government advocate cited a news report highlighting the confusion created by two conflicting judgments in the matter, one of which was rendered by the judge himself.
While Justice SM Subramaniam last month mandated installation of CCTV cameras in spas, massage and therapy centres, Justice Swaminathan in a plea filed by one Payel Biswas of Tiruchy over police’s refusal to give NOC to his spa said that installing CCTV cameras in such centres would affect the customers’ right to privacy. The judge in his ruling on January 4 asked police to consider the petitioner’s plea.
On Tuesday, when a petition filed by V Raveendran, seeking exemption from installing CCTVs in his Ayurveda massage and panchakarma therapy centre, came up for hearing before Justice Swaminathan, the government advocate pointed to the conflicting verdicts.
‘Appropriate direction’
Justice Swaminathan said though he had merely followed the nine bench decision of the SC, in view of the government counsel’s submission, it is appropriate to direct the registry to place Raveendran’s plea before the Chief Justice to consider constituting a larger bench to decide the matter