Contempt plea against state for not removing banners

The plea filed by Singanallur MLA N Karthik is set to be taken up for hearing on Monday.

Karthik on citing the November 30 order of the first bench led by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee, which directed the removal of illegal banners, said even after several reminders about the High Court order the authorities have failed to remove the banners and initiate appropriate action against the offenders.

“The government being a role model in implementing the court orders ought to have strictly complied with the directions and observations made by the court. But, there is a deliberate failure in complying with the order of this court and the same amounts to contempt of court,” Karthik said.

The orders of the first bench directing the removal of illegal banners and hoardings had come about on Karthik’s plea which sought to remove illegal, unauthorised and unpermitted hoardings, arches, banners and flex-boards across Coimbatore put up by the AIADMK cadres and office-bearers in view of MGR centenary celebrations. He had alleged that the illegal banners resulted in the loss of life of an NRI software engineer, who reportedly died after being hit by one such unauthorised banner erected along a highway in the city.