HC directs police to seize copies of book containing derogatory remarks against sitting judge

Chennai, Jan 7 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the police to seize copies of a book, carrying derogatory and abusive content and pictorial representation against a sitting judge of the Madras high court.

The book was likely to be displayed in a stall at a book fair in the city on January 8. It was admittedly directed against sitting HC judge, Justice G R Swaminathan, the petitioner contended.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice M M Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan gave the directive on a Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate P Naveenprasad.

"On the basis of the material which we find in the petition, we are inclined to initiate suo motu criminal contempt against 5th respondent" (Keezhaikaatru Publishers), the bench added and ordered emergent notice, returnable in three weeks, to the publisher.

In his PIL, Naveenprasad submitted that he came to know through social media, a book will be released on January 8 at Chennai Book Fair. The said book was admittedly directed against Justice Swaminathan, a sitting Judge of this court, and the very title of the book was scandalous, abusive, and derogatory, he added.

In its order, the bench said on the face of it, the proposed release of the book as titled and shown in the petition was highly derogatory and abusive and crosses all limits and needs to be dealt with stern hands by the Court.

State counsel present in Court who represented the police, was directed to take immediate and effective action to ensure that no such book having such pictorial representation, statements, caricature or contents tending to scandalize the Court/Judge were allowed to be published and circulated, the bench added.

The court said appropriate action shall be taken by the police authorities including to ensure that such scandalized publications do not take place, which may include seizure of pictorial representation and the contents of the nature as stated above, through any means including electronic media.

Posting the matter to January 28, the further hearing of the case, the bench directed the State Counsel to file a compliance report on that date. PTI CORR SA