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New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Madras High Court seeks report on action taken against corrupt government staff
MADURAI: Shocked to know that a state government official convicted in a corruption case was allowed to continue in service without proper action, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court directed the chief secretary and vigilance commissioner to submit a report containing the list of all convicted public servants in the state's employment and the action taken against them, within a month. Justice KK Ramakrishnan gave the direction recently while dismissing a petition filed by an assistant executive engineer of Thoothukudi rural development department, J Amala Jessi Jacquillin, against denial of promotion to her, despite the fact that she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case in 2024. He also imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on Jacquillin and directed her to pay the amount to Sethupathi Government Higher Secondary School, Tiruchuli. Jacquillin joined government service as an assistant engineer in 1998 and was later promoted as assistant executive engineer. The vigilance department had registered a case against her 10 years ago on charges that she had accumulated disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 25,40,972 in her and her husband's name between December 1999 and March 2009. A charge memo was also issued against her in 2020. Meanwhile, the vigilance case ended in conviction on December 6, 2024 and she was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment, but her sentence was suspended by the court. She also has another charge memo pending against her. However, Jacquillin claimed in her petition that she became eligible for promotion on October 6, 2012, and as all the criminal cases and charge memos came subsequent to this date, she is entitled to be promoted to the post of executive engineer. Justice Ramakrishnan referred to Rule 17(c)(i)(1) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, which states that an employee who is convicted by the competent court of law shall be dismissed from service without any further inquiry. Thus, the petitioner has no right to continue her employment let alone get promoted, he added. 'Allowing the convicted public servant to continue in the government service is not only deplorable and it shows apathy on the part of the state government,' the judge observed and passed the above order. The matter has been posted for reporting compliance on July 18.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC asks for details of convicted public servants in service
Madurai: Taking a serious view of the fact that a woman convicted in a disproportionate assets case was allowed to continue in govt service, Madras high court directed the chief secretary and additional chief secretary/vigilance commissioner to furnish details of the convicted public servants in service, irrespective of rank. Justice K K Ramakrishnan directed that the report on the action taken against them under 17(c)(i)(1) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1955, be submitted in a month. Allowing the convicted public servant to continue in govt service is not only deplorable but also shows apathy on the part of the state govt, the court said. "Rule 17(c)(i)(1) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules contemplates that an employee who is convicted by the competent court of law shall be dismissed from service without any further enquiry. In this case, the petitioner was convicted and sentenced to undergo imprisonment. It is shocking to the conscience of the court that no appropriate action is taken against the public servant who was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and no order of punishment was passed under the said Rules," observed Justice Ramakrishnan. Petitioner J Amala Jessi Jacquillin joined as an assistant engineer in the rural development and panchayat raj department in 1998 and was promoted as assistant executive engineer, Tuticorin sub-division. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Alerta: Você tem zumbido no ouvido? Dica de ouro pode aliviar! Zumbido no ouvido Undo In Sept 2020, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against her following registration of a case for offences under Prevention of Corruption Act. She was accused of accumulating disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs25.40 lakh in her name and her husband's name between Dec 1, 1999, and Mar 31, 2009. The trial court convicted and sentenced her to three years of rigorous imprisonment. Subsequently, the HC granted her interim suspension of sentence. In 2022, another charge memo was issued to her. While the proceedings were pending, a promotion list was published without her name, challenging which she filed the present petition. The judge observed that the petitioner has no right to continue in employment as she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case in 2024. However, she managed to work in the department. The HC had only suspended the petitioner's sentence. Two charge memos are pending against her. The relief sought in the petition is misconceived, and the petitioner is not entitled to any relief. Hence the judge dismissed the petition and imposed a cost of Rs50,000 on the petitioner, payable to the credit of the headmaster of Sethupathi govt higher secondary school in Tiruchuli in Virudhunagar district. The case was posted on July 18 for reporting compliance.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
HC says no to recreation club in residential area
1 2 Madurai: Madras high court has granted an interim injunction restraining the authorities from establishing a recreation club in Kariapatti , Virudhunagar district . A division bench of justice P Velmurugan and justice K K Ramakrishnan was hearing a public interest litigation filed by R Raja, a resident of Kariapatti. The petitioner stated that there are three Tasmac liquor shops with bars in Krishna Nagar locality, which is a residential area. Meanwhile, work is underway to start a recreation club with an FL 2 licence in the area. The club is to be established in a house building. He stated that the place where the club is to be established is 40m away from the junction of Thiruchuli-Kallikudi Road. A bus stop is situated nearby where school and college students board buses. If the club is established in the locality, it would cause nuisance to the public. The petitioner stated that he submitted representations seeking not to establish the club. However, no action was taken. Hence, he moved court.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Plea to implement Supreme Court guidelines on court security
Madurai: An advocate has filed a public interest litigation before the Madras high court on Thursday seeking a direction to the state to implement guidelines issued by the Supreme Court on court security . In his plea, the advocate cited a recent incident where two people convicted for possession of ganja threatened a judge on the Madurai district court campus. A division bench of justice P Velmurugan and justice K K Ramakrishnan sought a response from the state and adjourned the case by a month. The petitioner stated that the I additional district court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases in Madurai convicted and sentenced two brothers, A Pandiarajan, 23, and Prasanth, 22, for possession of 25kg of ganja on April 24. The duo broke the glass windows with their hands in the court hall and created a ruckus. After the police personnel caught hold of them and took them out of the court hall, they allegedly verbally abused and threatened to murder the judge who convicted them. He stated that In 2023, the Supreme Court issued detailed guidelines, which included preparing a comprehensive security plan and installing CCTV cameras. The incident reported on the Madurai district court campus reveals that the guidelines were not properly implemented. He stated that he submitted a representation seeking immediate steps to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Supreme Court's guidelines on court security. Since the same was not considered, the petitioner moved court.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Madras HC seeks CCTV footage on Vadakadu violence in TN
Madurai , The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the officials concerned to provide CCTV footage and other evidence related to the attack on a group of Scheduled Caste members and vandalisation of their property in Vadakadu village in Tamil Nadu's Pudukottai district. Chastising the senior district officials for not visiting the place of clash, a division bench of Justices P Velmurugan and K K Ramakrishnan. reminded them that theirs was not "a white collar job" and that it was "unfair to take action only if a complaint was filed." "The truth would have emerged had the collector gone in disguise to the affected spot and reviewed the situation," the bench observed and ordered the administration to submit CCTV footage of the incidents from May 4 - 7 from the village. The reprimand followed a petition filed by one S Shanmugam, a resident of Thirumananjeri in Pudukottai, seeking a direction from the court for an inquiry into the Vadakadu clash, and ensure that the SC people were allowed to worship at the Vadakadu Mariamman temple. He prayed for the arrest of all the culprits with the help of CCTV footage and video recordings related to the clash and ensure appropriate compensation to the victims under the Prevention of Atrocities Act. He claimed that those belonging to the SC community were attacked during a festival at the Mariamman temple and their houses torched. Many were injured in the incidents. He alleged that the police have not arrested the real culprits in connection with the incident. Pudukkottai district Collector Aruna and Superintendent of Police Abhishek Gupta appeared in the court. The administration submitted that about ₹8.75 lakhs have been provided as interim relief to the victims and new houses would be built for those whose houses were damaged. It was also submitted that people from all communities were allowed to worship at the temple after the peace talks were conducted.
