V ARUN Vs. HONBLE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) When one enters the magnificent precincts of this illustrious Chartered High Court, he notices the statue of a man standing with two wheels on either side with a calf and a small child beneath each wheel, and a cow. He becomes anxious to know the significance as to why and for what purpose this statue is located near the entrance of the High Court. The statue is that of the ancient Chozha King, Manu Needhi Chozhan, also known as Elara, who ruled South India around 250 B.C. Legend is that, Manu Needhi Chozhan, who believed in even justice towards friends and foes, had hung a giant Bell in front of his palace and announced that anyone seeking justice could ring the bell and voice will be heard. One day, it so happened that a young calf had got crushed under the wheels of his chariot, in which his only son, young Prince Veedhividangan, was going around the city. The mother of the calf, which helplessly watched its little one die, walked to the palace gates and rang the huge bell, demanding justice from the king. The king came out and saw the cow, he learnt from his courtiers about the death of the young calf under the wheels of his son's chariot. Unrelenting from his promise for justice, he ordered his own son to be killed for his recklessness. The prince was killed the same way the calf had died, being crushed under the wheels of his chariot. The king went through the same pain the cow had as he witnessed his son die and thereby, being just at all costs. The Judges of this Court, since its very inception, have always maintained this great tradition of the Chozha King and are rendering even justice to all concerned, whosoever he or she may be, irrespective of the fact whether they are rich or poor, and whether they occupy a high or a low status in the society.

(2.) The framers of our Constitution under Article 219 read with Schedule-III of the Constitution of India, made it compulsory for a Judge before entering Office, to take an oath that he will perform the duties without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, which a Judge, after entering Office, dutifully follows. No one has ever raised any finger on the dispensation of justice by this Chartered High Court. However, a member of the Bar which is an integral part of dispensation of justice, has now raised a doubt as to how the Chief Justice of the High Court can share the dais with the Chief Minister of the State in a function to be organised tomorrow, i.e. 20th August, 2013, along with the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, as it will send a wrong signal to the general public, who will lose faith in this institution.

(3.) The present petition, which has been filed as a Public Interest Litigation by an advocate, appearing in person, who had held responsible positions earlier as Additional Central Government Standing Counsel, Additional Government Pleader, Legal Advisor for the Chennai Port Trust, Standing Counsel for the Sugar Corporation of Tamil Nadu, Presenting Officer of the IAS Officers' Enquiry and has also been a Notary Public, Government of India, has approached this Court by relying upon the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life (Code of Conduct) adopted at the Chief Justices' Conference held in December, 1999 and submits that sharing of the dais by the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India and the Acting Chief Justice of this High Court with the Chief Minister of the State of Tamil Nadu in the ensuing function to be held on 20th August, 2013 would create a doubt in the minds of the litigants, as about eight cases are pending against her and therefore, it should be avoided.