CHENNAI: Convicts can argue their cases on their own from the prison through video conference, observed the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court (MHC).

C R Subramanian the promoter of the retail chain Subhiksha moved the MHC seeking to allow him to argue the cases registered against him on his own.

The case was listed before the first division bench comprising Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, for maintainability.

The counsel appeared for the petitioner and submitted that his client was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in an economic offense case and has also been incarcerated since last year.

However, the cases against the petitioner are pending in MHC, and wanted to argue the cases on his own, said the counsel.

After the submission, the bench observed that convicts are permitted to argue the cases on their own from the prison through video conference.

They need not be brought to the court in person, observed the bench, and directed the petitioner to submit the list of cases he wanted to argue.

The matter has been posted to April 3 for further submission.