HC imposes cost on BJP functionary, others

After slamming a BJP functionary and two others for filing frivolous petitions in the name of public interest litigations (PILs), the Madras High Court has imposed costs on them, to deter them from indulging in similar activities in the future.

The BJP functionary pulled up was Syed Ibrahim, the national secretary of the party's Minorities Wing. The court imposed Rs 10,000 for filing the PIL, that too by suppressing facts relating to the issue. He sought the court to lift the curbs on him for campaigning for his party men in Ward 95 in the ensuing Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation election to be held on February 19.

He contended that the police, at the instigation of the ruling party, was not allowing him to enter into the said ward for electioneering.

Denying the allegation, Advocate-General R Shanmugasundaram told the judges that the police had booked a case against him for violating the orders, which restrained him from entering the said ward for campaigning. Still he was trying to go there again, he added.

The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, who were visibly upset, imposed costs of Rs. 10,000 on Ibrahim and dismissed his petition.

In another case, the judges imposed Rs 5,000 costs on independent candidate Sathishkumar contesting in ward 182 of Greater Chennai Corporation. He prayed the court to install CCTV cameras and wanted live-streaming of polling in all the booths in his ward.

The judges pointed out to him that the court had repeatedly passed orders on this issue and the TN State Election Commission had also issued certain guidelines in this regard. Still, he has raked up the same issue, the visibly irked judges said.

The third one was one N Sundaram, who invited the wrath of the bench for the same reason. He sought CCTV surveillance of the polling. The court imposed Rs. 5,000 towards cost.