300 defacement notices served: Government

The status report filed before the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar also stated that a committee of secretaries under the chairmanship of the principal secretary, Home, prohibition and Excise department was constituted and nodal officers appointed to monitor the progress in removing the defacement in open places vide a Government order issued on February 26, 2016. 

The matter relates to a PIL filed by advocate Elephant Rajendran and another contempt petition filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy seeking to implement the order issued in 2014 which prevented the defacement of public buildings. 

The Status report further said that throughout the state up to October 30, as many as 60 people were convicted for the defacements and during November another five were convicted while the police have registered as many as 464 cases for defacement of public places. 

In Chennai, notices for removal of defacements have been served on nine recognised political parties and 82 registered political parties, the report said. 

The matter has been put for further hearing to February 10.