Contempt proceedings on 4 Pondy deemed Universities dropped

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before whom the contempt petition alleging that though 27 students deposited the prescribed provisional fee of Rs10 lakh to CENTAC as per court orders, said, “It appears from the counter affidavits filed by the colleges affiliated to the contemnor universities that the seats in all the deemed universities were filled before the date of interim order save one seat in Radiology, two seats in Orthopaedics and one seat in ENT.”

Also, the bench on holding that in contempt proceedings the scope of scrutiny by court is restricted, said, “The court can neither go behind its earlier order nor alter it or modify it. This court is only to see if there is wilful and deliberate violation of an order of the court, which either tarnished the majesty or dignity of the court or its processes. Since, there were no vacant seats as on the date of the order (June 16, 2017) except for four seats it cannot be said that the contemnor respondents have deliberately flouted any order of this court.” 

The petitioner VBR Menon, who had moved the contempt plea, had alleged that despite the court’s interim order directing four medical colleges affiliated to Deemed Universities in Puducherry and CENTAC to admit candidates provisionally selected for admission to PG medical courses through common counselling by taking Rs 10 lakh as fee for the time being, the universities have failed to obey it.

A complaint filed by a mentally challenged minor girl against her father and brother under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 for sexual abuse has been quashed by the Madras High Court. Justice R Mahadevan, on quashing the FIR filed by the Reddiyarpalayam police station in Puducherry, said, “In the present case it is seen that there is no pornographic picture available to implicate the father and brother of the complainant to the alleged crime. Further, a plain reading of the FIR would show that the entire proceedings are maliciously instituted with an ulterior motive to wreak vengeance against them.” 

The matter relates to a complaint given by the girl studying in Class 9 against her father and brother alleging that her father sexually abused her before she attained puberty and her brother had taken photographs while she was bathing.