Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam has filed a contempt of court petition against ‘Nakheeran’ Gopal and journalist Damodharan Prakash for having allegedly violated a gag order passed by the Madras High Court on July 25 restraining the media from reporting the proceedings of a case related to friction between the State government and Idol Theft wing special officer A.G. Ponn Manickavel. In his affidavit, the petitioner said he was moving the contempt plea in his personal capacity. He pointed out that Justice N. Anand Venkatesh had issued the gag order after expressing dismay over the “distorted” news reports published and telecast in the media regarding the proceedings in a case filed by a retired police officer I. Kader Batcha, who accused the special officer of harassing him and implicating in false cases. Despite such restraint order, ‘Nakheeran’ had gone ahead and published an article in its July 29 issue, the petitioner said and claimed that it was a contemptuous act.
“The said article is entirely based on the submissions made in the above proceedings and is as such a wilful violation of the orders of this honourable court... The said article, styled as an investigation report about the Minister’s involvement in the statue theft, has its inception and source from submissions made in the case,” he contended.
Stating that he had also initiated other legal proceedings against the magazine, Mr. Shanmugam said he was duty-bound to file the contempt petition. too to prevent any unfair interruption of the court proceedings and also to prevent grave injustice.
“I state that the whole purpose of passing the said order has been lost owing to the respondents’ publication... The respondents have published a false news without any verification of facts and circumstances,” his affidavit read.