Justice Swaminathan didn't consult with co-judge in YouTuber's case, states HC

JUSTICE G Jayachandran of the Madras High Court has stated that Justice GR Swaminathan showed a 'semblance of personal bias' against the Tamil Nadu police in quashing their order to detain jailed YouTuber Savukku Shankar under the Goondas Act without giving a fair opportunity to the police to present their case and without consulting the co-judge in the bench.

-  R SIVAKUMAR

"Failure to afford opportunity to file the counter, when it was sought, and the bias of showing interest in passing order hastily without consulting the bench partner renders the expression of opinion by Justice GR Swaminathan non est," the judge noted in the order.

The observations were part of the order recently passed by Justice G Jayachandran, the third judge, to whom the habeas corpus petition filed by the YouTuber's mother, A Kamala, was referred to after the vacation bench of Justices GR Swaminathan and PB Balaji delivered a split verdict. The judge, in his order, referred the matter to the regular division bench hearing HCPs as he found the split verdict to be 'incomplete'.