HC judge says he won't be cowed down by social media posts

When the advance bail petitions from advocate Tanuja Rajan @ Tanuja Kanthula and her daughter Preeti Rajan, residents of Chetpet came up today, Justice M Dhandapani said in the open court that unwarranted messages were on circulation in the social media against him for questioning the conduct of lawyers in public places. 

''I will not be deterred by such messages and I would not hesitate to act when things take an ugly turn,'' the judge warned. 

While entertaining the bail applications on June 16, the judge had directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the State unit of the Bar Council of India governing the legal profession, to spell out the mechanism in place to curb such behaviours of the erring lawyers. 

Accordingly, S Haja Mohideen Gisthi, representing the TN Bar Council, filed a status-report before the judge on Thursday. 

The report said that the Bar Council has been receiving complaints with regard to the `professional misconduct' of certain lawyers only. 

This is the first time it has received complaints against two women lawyers. The complaints were from the DCP, Flower Bazaar and the Kilpauk police. 

Notices have been issued to the two advocates seeking their explanation and the disciplinary committee attached to the Bar Council would proceed with the complaints as per the provisions of the Advocates Act, it added. 

The judge said that lawyers belong to a noble profession. They cannot enter into a street fight with everyone on the road even if the other person is on the wrong side. 

But instances have come to the notice of this court where the legal fraternity has also indulged in some high- handed activity against the law enforcing agency. 

It is a harsh reality that instances of such nature by the members of the legal fraternity are on the increase, the judge had observed on June 16. 

Day after day, complaints against lawyers are increasing and videos are being circulated, the judge added and posted the matter for orders tomorrow.