Madras HC warns Chief Secretary, GCC of contempt action

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has said that top government authorities, including the Chief Secretary (CS) and the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), would have to appear before the court if appropriate steps are not taken for relocating the hawkers of Broadway by June 23.

The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala gave the ultimatum recently on a contempt of court petition filed by late activist Traffic Ramasamy regarding the failure of concerned authorities in clearing the NSC Bose Road of encroachments.

Despite a specific direction to remove the hawkers from the non-hawking zone, the hawkers are operating at the same place. To settle the issue, this court on the last date of hearing, by order dated 5-4-2022, even permitted the respondents to relocate the hawkers to some other place. But the counsel for the respondents is praying for further time even though two months have passed since the order, the bench said.

Saying that a case for contempt was made out, the bench directed the counsel to keep contemnors (officers holding top positions when initial order was passed) as well as officers presently holding the said posts present in the court on the next date of hearing.

“However, their presence shall be exempted if compliance of order is made on or before the next date of hearing,” the bench added and adjourned the matter to June 23.The matter pertains to a PIL filed by late activist Traffic Ramasamy several years ago seeking orders to remove the encroachments on NSC Bose Road in Broadway.