The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Teachers fined

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Teachers fined

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs.2,000 each on three school teachers for filing two writ petitions, one before the Madurai Bench and another before the Principal Seat in Chennai for the same relief.

Dismissing the petition filed before the Bench, Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar said the attitude adopted by the petitioners is a clear abuse of process of the court. Hence, he imposed the cost to be paid to the Madurai chapter of the Tamil Nadu Mediation and Conciliation Centre before November 30.

The writ petition pending before the principal seat shall also stand dismissed if the cost is not paid before the stipulated time, the judge said. He took strong exception to the fact that the teachers did not divulge the details of the writ petition pending in Chennai while filing a similar petition before the Madurai Bench.

The judge pointed out that the Supreme Court in Prestige Lights Limited Vs. State Bank of India (2007) had held that a court of law is also a court of equity. It is therefore, of utmost necessity that when a party approaches a High Court, he/she must place all the facts before the court without any reservation.

The apex court further said that a writ court may refuse to entertain the petition and dismiss it without considering the merits of the matter, if there is suppression of material facts on the part of the applicant or twisted facts have been placed before the court.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu