HC adjourns hearing of PIL against Ponnaiyan, Apollo

The Madras High Court today adjourned hearing on a PIL which sought a direction to police to register a case AIADMK leader Ponnaiyan and Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals here in connection with a press statement released on behalf of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, alleging that her signature was forged.
The PIL was filed by activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy.
When it came up, Fathima, said to be a student of Ramaswamy, appeared before the court and said due to some illness he was unable to be present and she was representing him.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sundar, observed that it cannot entertain any arguments put forth by the student of the petitioner since the PIL is filed by 'party-in-person'.

It then adjourned the matter to January 9.
In his complaint to police, Ramaswamy had stated that a press report released on November 13, in the name of Jayalalitha by AIADMK leader Ponnaiyan carried no signature of the late leader. He further alleged that in another press release issued later, Jayalalithaa's signature varied raising doubts.

Ramaswamy also claimed that the signature of the AIADMK supremo was forged by someone and wanted police to send the press release for forensic analysis.
As the press report was released with the help of the Hospital Management, the petitioner sought action against the Managing Director of the Hospital besides Ponnaiyan and others for allegedly committing forgery.

The petitioner had moved the court claiming the authorities had failed to respond.