High Court stays SC/ST panel order against Nellai SP

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday stayed an order of the State SC/ST Commission that imposed a fine of Rs 500 on Tirunelveli SP, and issued a bailable warrant to arrest and produce him before the Commission on December 28.

Justice G Chandrasekaran granted the injunction while passing interim orders on a criminal original petition from the officer, P Saravanan, who said after a land dispute between M Paramanandham from the SC community and one Kuppusamy Chettiyar of Coimbatore, the former straight away moved the SC/ST Commission in 2004.

Taking cognisance of the complaint in June, the Commission directed Saravanan to appear before it on two occasions. As he allegedly failed to appear with a report on the probe, it imposed a fine of Rs 500 and directed him to appear on December 28, through a `press release’ order, Saravanan said in his plea.