Gutkha sachets in Assembly: HC adjourns plea against order quashing show cause notices to CM Stalin, DMK MLAs

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court adjourned to July 29 an appeal against its order quashing fresh show cause notices issued against DMK legislators including Chief Minister MK Stalin for having displayed Gutkha sachets in the state assembly in July 2017.

On Thursday, a division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice C Kumarappan heard the appeal moved by the AIADMK government challenging the court's order which had set aside the show cause notices issued by the Privileges Committee.

Advocate S Manuraj representing the respondents including CM Stalin sought further time to file a vakalat. However, the bench observed that a vakalat was not needed in this appeal.

Later, the advocate sought time to get instructions from his clients.

After the request, the bench posted the matter to Monday (July 29) for the final submission of the respondents. It also observed that no further adjournment would be granted in this appeal.

As Advocate General (AG) PS Raman submitted that one of the respondents, former legislator Ku.Ka.Selvam had died, the bench dismissed his appeal as abated.

On July 19, 2017, several DMK legislators including MK Stalin brought several sachets of gutkha, a banned substance, into the House to prove that it was still available in the markets.

The then Speaker P Dhanapal held that it was a breach of privilege to bring the banned substance into the Assembly and referred the matter to the Privileges Committee, which on August 28, 2017, issued a show cause notice to 21 DMK legislators.

The legislators then moved the High Court challenging the show cause notice, after which a division bench of the High Court held that there was a foundational error in the show cause notice and set aside the breach of privilege motion against the DMK MLAs.

However, challenging this order, the legislative assembly secretary and Privileges Committee moved an appeal in the High Court.