HC orders removal of ex-civic chief in building demolition case

A division bench comprising Justice M Venugopal and Justice S Vaidyanathan before whom a contempt plea moved by Ravammal, the mother-in-law of the then Nandhimangalam panchayat president N Loganathan came up, was shocked to note that while the violated portion of the building had already been demolished, the contempt plea was more an offshoot of a dispute among the family members of the petitioner.

Recording the submission of the Additional Advocate General S R Rajagopal in this regard that Loganathan through an order on October 29, 2015 had directed the demolition of the entire super structure put up by one K Ravichandran, the bench said, “It is very unfortunate that the then panchayat president had issued the proceedings of demolition in favour of his mother-in-law and the said act is nothing, but a colourable exercise of power.”

Dismissing the contempt petition, the bench on holding that the factum of Loganathan being the son-in-law of the petitioner has been duly proved by the evidence of the Village Administrative Officer, said, “It is pertinent to mention here that no one should be a judge of his own cause and in all fairness, he should have recused from hearing the matter at the nascent stage itself, when the dispute was raised by his mother-in-law.”

“Hence, this court is of the considered opinion that he should not be permitted to occupy in such a covertly service-oriented and responsible post or any other post in future for the welfare of the public at large,” the bench added.

The bench also directed the Tiruvallur District Collector E Sundaravalli to send a circular about Loganathan to other respondents and other relevant Panchayat officials, both in English and Tamil for their knowledge, awareness and guidance in future.