MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court said on Friday that it would frame contempt charges against the officers, who failed to implement its order directing lighting of lamp on ‘Deepathoon’ on Thiruparankundram hilltop last year, if they don’t properly show cause before February 2 as to why contempt proceedings not be initiated against them.
Hearing the contempt petitions filed by Rama Ravikumar and S Paramasivam over the non-compliance of the order dated December 1, Justice GR Swaminathan criticised the officers, who had appeared in person, for not filing a reply despite being granted sufficient opportunity.
The officers were Madurai Collector KJ Praveen Kumar, city police commissioner J Loganathan, deputy police commissioner AG Inigo Divyan and executive officer of Subramaniya Swamy temple Yagna Narayanan.
Acted on our own accord & not under dictation: Collector, DCP
To a specific question posed by the judge whether the decision to disobey the court’s order was taken by the officers on their own accord or under instructions, both the collector and the DCP Divyan replied that they had acted on their own accord and not under dictation.
The judge recalled that the collector had passed a prohibitory order under Section 163 BNSS nullifying the court’s order, and the DCP had refused to permit the petitioners to light the lamp even after he quashed the prohibitory order and orally remarked that he cannot forgive both actions unless he receives a written apology.
As of now, the officers have neither apologised nor shown any remorse on their faces, he criticised. Since the additional advocate general Veera Kathiravan sought further time, the judge adjourned the case.
Criminal trespass
Earlier, the judge asked temple EO Narayanan whether the dargah officials obtained his permission before tying their flag on the tree situated on the temple’s property near the deepathoon.
When Narayanan replied that permission was not obtained, he questioned why the officer had not taken any action on the matter when the incident amounted to criminal trespass. The judge then recorded the undertaking given by Narayanan that he would lodge a complaint before the jurisdictional police immediately.
