A.VENKATESAN Vs. GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL NADU

JUDGEMENT

(1.) BOTH the Suo Motu Contempt Petition and the writ petition are arising out of the same issue, namely, framing appropriate and necessary explicit strict guidelines to regulate the entry of government servants and also to the usage of Cell Phone or any other Digital or Electronic Device/Gadgets having audio/video recording capability in any mode, inside the Court halls and the Court premises, to be strictly implemented by the fifth respondent except further prayer in the writ petition to order independent probe by CBI on the representation given by the petitioner dated 6.10.2012 and to take appropriate and necessary action within a reasonable time to be fixed by this Court for the above said relief. In view of the same, both the petitions have been taken up together for hearing and passing this common order.

(2.) ON an earlier occasion, we have passed the order dated 4.10.2012 issuing notice to the contemnor one Mr. A. Venkatesan, S/o. T. Adikesavan, Assistant Section Officer, attached to Home (P&E) Department, Secretariat, Chennai, calling upon him to explain as to why action for Contempt of Court Proceedings could not be initiated against him on the ground that during the course of Court proceedings he had used his mobile phone bearing SIM Card No. 9894107692 for recording the Court proceedings. The contents of the order passed by us on 4.10.2012 in the Suo Motu Contempt Proceedings are to be incorporated as hereunder:

(3.) THE cell phone bearing SIM Card No. 9894107692 seized from the said person, namely, Venkatesan, is directed to be handed over to the Registrar General of this Court to retain until further orders." 3. Pursuant to the said order, the Contemnor, namely, Mr. A. Venkatesan, filed an affidavit of tendering apology before this Court which reads as follows: