Gutkha case: Final hearing on December 2

Chennai

Madras High Court has announced final hearing of the second notice sent to DMK MLAs by Privileges Committee on December 2.

This it said along with providing interim stay on breach of privileges notice issued to Ku.Ka Selvam.

The first notice was dismissed by Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy citing errors in it. They said action cannot be taken upon this notice, if Privileges Committee needs to take action on the MLAs they would have to issue another notice.

Deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman led Privileges Committee had issued another notice against the DMK MLAs on September 9.

Leader of Opposition MK Stalin successfully moved the High Court to gain an interim stay on the second notice.

Assembly Secretary appealed the court to remove the stay. Hearing on this appeal was adjourned to November 9.

The Madras High Court now has informed final hearing on December 2.

For the uninitiated, 21 DMK MLAs -- including MK Stalin -- took banned Gutkha products and walked into the assembly to convey this banned product has unstinted business, attacking the legal iniquities.

This was perceived as undecorous, indignified and a bad precendent. Action was launched against the 21 MLAs, now 18 (two have died, J Anbalagan and KPP Saamy ; Ku Ka Selvam is removed from the party).