Ousted MLAs case assigned to Madras HC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to transfer to itself the petitions filed by 17 ousted Dinakaran camp MLAs, for hearing the “disqualification case”. But it assigned the case to Justice M. Satyanarayanan in the Madras high court following a split verdict on their plea challenging the Speaker’s decision.

While the Chief Justice Indira Banerjee upheld the Tamil Nadu Speaker’s order disqualifying 18 MLAs, Justice Sundar set aside the Speaker’s order following which the matter was assigned to Justice S. Vimala. Acting on the appeals, a vacation Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Sanjay Kishan Kaul passed this order after hearing senior counsel Vikas Singh for the ousted MLAs and senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan and Ariyama Sundaram for the chief minister E. Palanichami and others.

Mr. Vikas Singh pleaded for transfer of the case pointing out that there was a delay in pronouncement of the judgment. When the Bench took exception to the insinuations made by the counsel against HC judges, counsel agreed to withdraw the allegations. Mr. Vaidyanathan and Mr. Sundaram also opposed the submissions of Mr. Vikas Singh against judges.

They said there was no reason for transfer of the matter to the apex court when the third judge had already been appointed. In its order the Bench said, “At the outset, we record our appreciation of the fact that all the insinuations made against the judges including the third judge nominated have been unconditionally withdrawn by the petitioners.