Chennai: The stand-off on the lighting of a lamp at the Deepathoon, a pillar near a dargah in Tirupparankundram hill, one of the six abodes of Lord Karthikeya (Murugan), continue on Thursday night with the lamp not being lit despite a second order passed by Justice G R Swaminathan of the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench).
The judge had passed the order while hearing a contempt of court case soon after a Division Bench dismissed an appeal by the Madurai Collector and Commissioner of Police against Justice Swaminathan’s previous order passed a day earlier.
Justice Swaminathan on Thursday summoned the Collector and Police Commissioner to appear before him via video conference after their appeals were dismissed. He then quashed the prohibitory orders in Tirupparankundram, which was promulgated on Wednesday evening.
“From the sequence of events, it is too obvious that the prohibitory order was passed only to nullify the directions given by the court and to give a convenient reason to the jurisdictional police to defy the order of the court.... Final judgments or orders delivered or passed by civil courts in any part of the territory of India shall be capable of execution anywhere within that territory according to law...They cannot defy for any reason whatsoever,” the judge said.
“Since the prohibitory order issued by the Collector overreaches the order passed by the court, it stands quashed,” he said.
The judge then said December 4 is Sarvalaya Deepam Day. Therefore, Karthigai Deepam can be lit today (December 4) also. “This order should be read along with the earlier orders passed by the court. Except deputing the CISF Personnel and the change regarding the date, in all other respects, the directions issued on December 3 hold good,” he said and posted the matter for compliance on Friday.
However, the police refused to allow the litigant and also leaders of BJP and Hindu outfits to proceed to the hills citing that the State had initiated steps to appeal against Justice Swaminathan’s latest order. The police eventually detained BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran and others.
