Employee Has "Right To Vent", Management Cannot Take Action For Messages Sent In Private WhatsApp Group: Madras High Court

While setting aside a charge memo issued against an employee of the Tamil Nadu Grama Bank, the Madras High Court noted that every employee has a "right to vent" and the management could not take action against the employees for messages that were posted in a WhatsApp group chat expressing critical views against the management so long as such messages were otherwise within...

Madras High Court Judge Acts As Whistleblower; Declares As Illegal HC Order Transferring Trial Of Corruption Case Against TN Minister

In an extraordinary and unprecedented move, the Madras High Court on Thursday passed an order raising doubts at the manner in which District Judge Vellore passed the judgment acquitting Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmudy and his wife in a disproportionate assets case.Justice Anand Venkatesh exercised suo motu revision powers to hold that the transfer of the case against the Higher Education...

Madras High Court To Take Up Suo Motu Revision Against Trial Court Verdict Acquitting Minister Ponmudi In Disproportionate Assets Case

In a rare development, the Madras High court has decided to suo motu take up the revision of a judgement passed by a Vellore court in June acquitting Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and his wife in a disproportionate assets case.Justice Anand Venkatesh has invoked Section 397 CrPC which allows any High Court or Sessions Court judge to call for and examine records of a...

'Had Only Exercised His Fundamental Right To Protest': Madras High Court Directs Authorities To Appoint Candidate As Police Constable

Observing that the right to protest for a common cause is a fundamental right of each and every citizen of the country, the Madras High Court directed the authorities to give an appointment order to a man whose application to the post of Grade-II Police Constable was rejected on the ground that he had participated in protests against the NEET examination during his college days. Justice...

Madras High Court Asks CBI To Proceed With Probe Against Pondicherry University Professor, Others For Alleged Misappropriation Of Funds

The Madras High Court has asked the CBI to register a case based on a private complaint alleging misappropriation of funds by a former officiating Director of Human Resources Development Center at Pondicherry University.Justice G Jayachandran noted that though the CBI had sought prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Under Secretary to the Government had...

Judicial Service Examinations Should Be Conducted Every Year To Reduce Number Of Pending Cases: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has suggested that judicial examinations should be conducted every year to reduce the pendency of cases in the courts. “Before parting with this judgment, we suggest that judicial service examinations shall be conducted every year so as to ensure to minimize the pending litigations, as, of late, it is noticed that certain cases are pending for more than three...

Madras High Court Dismisses 14 Petitions Against Google's Billing Policy, Says Matter Falls Within CCI's Domain

The Madras High Court has dismissed a majority of pleas filed by Indian startups against Google's new user choice billing system. A total of 14 out of 16 petitions have been dismissed. The two remaining petitions filed by Disney+Hotstar and Testbook are pending. Dismissing the petitions, Justice S Sounthar on August 3 said that the matter falls within the jurisdiction of the...

Madras High Court Orders Restoration of Palani Murugan Temple Display Board Prohibiting Entry For Non-Hindus

The Madras High Court has ordered a status quo ante in the Arulmighu Palani Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple by directing the respondent authorities to restore the display board stating that non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple. Justice S Srimathy of the Madurai bench made the direction in a plea by D Senthilkumar, organizer of Palani Hill Temple Devotees Organization. who moved the...

Madras High Court Forms 2-Member Committee To Look Into 'Irregularities' In Appointment Of Assistant Professors In Institutions Of Pachaiyappa’s Trust

The Madras High Court has constituted a 2-member committee to make a detailed report on the appointments of 254 candidates to the post of Assistant Professors in the institutions of the Pachaiyappa’s Trust pursuant to the recruitment notifications dated 12.12.2013 and 18.02.2014. Former Madras High Court Judge Justice B Gokuldas will be the Chairman of the committee and Dr. Freeda...

Madras High Court Suspends Sentence Of IAS Officer, Others In Contempt Case

The Madras High Court has suspended the order of imprisonment against IAS officer Pradeep Yadav and two others in the contempt case for failure to implement court orders while he was holding the post of the Principal Secretary to the School Education Department.The division bench of Justice SS Sundar and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madurai bench suspended the sentence while hearing...

Madras High Court Weekly Round-Up: July 31 - August 06

A weekly round-up of important cases from the Madras High Court: Citations: 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 208 To 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 218 NOMINAL INDEX B Vallipavai v The State of Tamil Nadu, 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 208 The Registrar, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and others v. D Rajasree and others, 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 209 Kalimuthu v The Secretary, 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 210 Pascal Sasil R...

Widow Can't Be Stopped From Entering Temple; Woman's Identity Not Dependent On Marital Status : Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has strongly criticized the practice of stopping a widow from entering temples and said it can never continue in a civilized society governed by rule of law. “It is quite unfortunate that the archaic beliefs that if a widow enters a temple it will cause impurity continues to prevail in this State. Even though the reformers are attempting to break all...