Disqualified MLA Thanga Tamilselvan appeared before Advocate General (A-G) Vijay Narayan on Tuesday in response to two show-cause notices issued to him seeking explanation as to why consent should not be granted to a couple of lawyers who wanted to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against him.
Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971 requires prior consent of the A-G before initiating criminal contempt proceedings against an individual. Therefore, two lawyers – V. Srimathi and B. Kannan – had sought his consent and he, in turn, had issued show-cause notices to the disqualified MLA. The lawyers had accused the alleged contemnor of having made “scurrilous, derogatory and scandalous” remarks against the judiciary in general, and Chief Justice Indira Banerjee of the Madras High Court in particular, after a Division Bench led by her delivered a split verdict in a batch of cases filed by him and 17 others challenging their disqualification.
They claimed that the disqualified MLA had accused the judiciary of having delivered a verdict that would help the ruling party to continue in power and claimed that the judgment in the disqualification case appeared to have been “purchased.” He also issued an open challenge to prosecute him for contempt of court.
During the in-camera hearing held in the A-G’s chamber on Tuesday, Mr. Thanga Tamilselvan had reportedly apologised, but there was no confirmation since, after emerging from the meeting, he told journalists that he had just sought time to file his written reply. Claiming that he had the highest regard for the judiciary, he said he had decided not to withdraw his writ petition, which would now be heard along with 17 other writ petitions challenging the disqualification, by the Supreme Court-appointed third judge, Justice M. Sathyanarayanan, from July 23.