Madras HC orders notice to 21 MLAs, including CM for showing gutkha sachets in Assembly

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court ordered notice to DMK legislators, including Chief Minister MK Stalin, in an appeal moved against the Court order setting aside fresh show cause notices issued for having displayed gutkha sachets in the Assembly in July 2017.

A division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice C Kumarappan listed the appeal moved by the AIADMK government challenging the Court’s order quashing the show cause notices issued by the privileges committee, for pronouncing judgment.

However, Advocate General (AG) PS Raman submitted that the respondents, including the Chief Minister have not served with notice, hence there is a possibility to raise objection on the ground of non-issuance of notice.

After the submission, the bench granted liberty to serve notice to the respondents and posted the matter to July 25, for hearing.

On July 19, 2017, DMK legislators, including then LoP 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. The Privileges Committee on August 28, 2017 issued a show cause notice to 21 DMK legislators.

However, the legislators moved the High Court challenging the show cause notice. A division bench of the High Court held that there is foundational error in the show cause notice and set aside the breach of privilege motion against the DMK MLAs. Challenging this order the assembly secretary and Privileges Committee moved an appeal in HC.