Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the Bar Council of India and the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to initiate action against the secretary of Madurai Bar Association, A.K. Ramasamy, against whom suo motu contempt proceedings had been initiated.
A Division bench of Justices S. Tamilvanan and C.T. Selvam before which the matter came up for hearing amidst opposition from advocates, directed the Bar Associations to file a report whether it had been brought to their notice that Ramasamy had been declared an insolvent; whether the name of Ramasamy, one of the two contemnors, has been struck off the electoral roll and whether he participated in election after he was declared insolvent.
The associations have been directed to take appropriate action in keeping with the Advocates Act. The associations have been directed to file report before the court on September 30. The Bench adjourned the matter to that date.
The Bench directed the high court registrar-judicial to file a criminal case against him. The bench directed the home secretary and DGP to provide separate armed escort to S.R. Rajagopal, counsel for intervenor, Dalit ‘Tiger’ Ponnusamy and K. Arumugam.
The bench has also directed P. Dharmarajan, president of Madurai Bar Association, to appear before the court on the next hearing date without fail. Wading through angry advocates, Justices S. Tamilvanan and C.T. Selvam entered the court at 2.25 p.m. When the proceedings commenced, on behalf of Dharmarajan, a petition was filed to dispense with his personal appearance for the hearing. ‘Tiger’ Poonusamy filed an impleading petition on behalf of Dr Ambedkar Advocates’ Association. In the petition, he sought action against advocates for sticking posters on the walls of Madurai condemning the judges.
