MADURAI: Justice GR Swaminathan of the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Registry of the Court to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against YouTuber Savukku Shankar for making 'offending' remarks about the judge on social media.
The remarks were made on Monday in connection with a judgment passed by Justice Swaminathan, quashing an FIR registered against YouTuber Maridhas in February this year.
"He asks me 'who I met at 6 am at Azhagar Koil when I was hearing the case pertaining to Maridhas?' By this innuendo, Shankar is suggesting that the outcome of the Maridhas case was influenced by the person I am alleged to have met. This is clearly scandalising the judiciary," the judge criticised.
Though Shankar had commented on many of his judgments in the most uncharitable language and his attacks have often been personal, his latest tweet appears to have crossed the lakshman rekha, he said.
"Imputing partiality, bias or improper motives to a judge is scandalisation of the court and would amount to criminal contempt," he held and directed the Registry to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against Shankar and issue a statutory notice to him.
He was told to appear in person. Noting that Shankar was employed in the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption as a ministerial staff and is getting subsistence allowance for several years, the judge said, "The State government is obliged to make a statement regarding the status of the disciplinary...
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