JUSTICE P VENUGOPAL Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is a former judge of the madras High Court. He was appointed on 25- 01-1979 and superannuated on 07-12-1981. In the meanwhile, by a notification dated 29- 07-1981, he was appointed as Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the incidents which took place in Coimbatore Town on 23-07- 1981 arising from attacks on the office premises of two Tamil newspapers 'dinakaran' and Malai Murasu'. In the aforementioned notification dated 29-07-1981 it was stated:

(2.) Pursuant to or in furtherance of the said order dated 29. 07.1981, the Government of Tamil Nadu also issued an order on 1. 08.1981 appointing the petitioner as a Commission of Inquiry, terms of reference whereof are as under:

(3.) The petitioner despite his superannuation as a High Court Judge continued to occupy the post of Commission of Inquiry, wherefor the Government of Madras (as the state was thence known) issued an order dated 28.12.1981 stating :