This Article is From Feb 16, 2017

Madras High Court Rejects Pleas On 'Illegal Detention' Of 2 AIADMK Lawmakers

Madras High Court Rejects Pleas On 'Illegal Detention' Of 2 AIADMK Lawmakers

2 AIADMK MLAs had alleged that they were forced by Team Sasikala to stay at the Golden Bay resort

Madras High Court today dismissed the pleas to trace two AIADMK MLAs who were allegedly under "illegal" detention at a resort, where legislators supporting VK Sasikala have been staying. "We do not find any merit," said the court which declined to entertain a suggestion to appoint an amicus curie, or advisor to the court, to personally go and inspect the resort in Koovathur on the outskirts of Chennai.

The division bench comprising justices M Jaichandren and T Mathivanan dismissed the two habeas corpus petitions seeking that legislators Geetha and RT Ramachandran of Krishnarayapuram and Kunnam constituencies respectively be traced and set free.

"Having taken into consideration the relevant facts, we find that since the question of maintainability is hanging over the petition, we do not find any merit," the bench said.

Referring to the Bar Council of India rules, it said, "Rule 9 contemplated that an advocate should not act or plead in any manner in which he himself is peculiarly interested and the Rule 18 mandated that an advocate shall not act at any time be a party to fomented litigants.

"Keeping in view of the fact, we are of the considered view that the petitions are devoid of any merit and is therefore deserved to be dismissed."

The HCPs filed on February 9 alleged illegal detention of 130-odd ruling AIADMK MLAs after the Tamil Nadu government said the legislators were staying at the MLAs' Hostel and were "free to move around".

Earlier, the court had sought the state government's response to allegations that AIADMK MLAs were being illegally detained in the resort and had reserved its orders.


(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
.