Law & order cannot be used to flout court orders: HC to state

JUSTICE GR Swaminathan of the Madras High Court's Madurai Bench on Wednesday observed that law and order cannot be a ground to flout court's orders, and such an attempt would amount to breakdown of law and order and paralysis of the constitutional machinery.

- JEGADEESWARI PANDIAN

(P4)

Hearing two contempt petitions filed over noncompliance of his order dated December 1, directing the lighting of Karthigai Deepam on the 'deepathoon' atop the Thiruparankundram hill, the judge said unless an order was set aside or stayed, it had to be obeyed. He also sought a "responsible response" from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary on why court orders were repeatedly being left unimplemented by the authorities at the district level.

In the previous hearing, the judge had taken note of frequent violation of his orders by authorities in various districts and had directed Chief Secretary N Muruganandam and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Davidson Devasirvatham to appear through video-conference and provide an explanation.