SC threatens arrest warrant against Tamil Nadu CM

New Delhi, Aug 4

The Supreme Court today slammed Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi and Union Minister for Shipping T R Baalu for not filing their responses on a contempt petition filed against them for supporting a bandh favouring Sethusamudram canal project. The court even threatened to issue arrest warrants against them.

Furious over the non responsive attitude of the DMK stalwarts, a two judge bench headed by Justice B N Agrawal observed “do you think you are above law? You had taken time earlier also. Why proceedings of contempt not be issued against you? Seeing the angry bench, Karunanidhi’s lawyer was quick to point out that the Chief Minister would adopt the response given by the Chief Secretary.

The bench, however, granted four weeks time to Baalu, state Chief Secretary, DGP and two others to file their fresh replies to the show cause notice issued by it. They all will have to explain the cause of delay in filing their responses.

The bench regretted that though the Tamil Nadu government has been seeking time and adjournments frequently for filing the response on a show cause notice, it pointed out that on March 31st this year the condemners sought four weeks time to file their replies but failed to do so. AIADMK chief and Opposition leader J Jayalalithaa complained that response to the show cause notice on contempt was filed only on July 30th. The apex court after fresh request from the Tamil Nadu counsel then granted four more weeks' time to file replies on the contempt notices.

The apex court, in October last year, had issued contempt notices to the Chief Minister and others for going ahead with the October 1 state-wide bandh on the Sethusamudram issue despite the bench restraining them. At that time, the apex court had also threatened to recommend the President of India to dismiss the State government.