The Supreme Court on Feb. 07 dismissed petitions demanding restraining lawyer Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri from taking oath as a judge of the Madras High Court, just as she was being sworn in. The oath-taking ceremony started while the hearing in the top court was still underway. "We are not entertaining the writ petitions. Reasons will follow," a special bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai said. At the beginning of the hearing, Justice Khanna said there is a difference between eligibility and suitability. "On eligibility, there could be a challenge. But suitability... The courts should not get into suitability, otherwise the whole process will become haywire," he observed. The lawyers from Madurai call allegations against Victoria Gowri motivated by "political animosity and malafide intent".