HC allows impleadment of DCP, inspector in contempt plea

Madras High Court today allowed impleadment of two police officials and a corporation official as respondents in a contempt petition filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy over the issue of unauthorised digital banners in the city.
The court reserved the right of petitioner to implead CityPublic Prosecutor ML Jegan as a respondent if any material was placed on record subsequently.
When the matter came up before Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice TS Sivagnanam, the bench ordered impleadment of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Flower Bazaar Range,Senthil Kumar, Inspector of Esplanade Police Station, Radhakrishnan, and Corporation Assistant Commissioner, DK Mohan, as the respondents.

The bench also directed the Additional Government Pleaderto examine the issue of defacement of public walls and enquired as to the steps, including preventive measures, taken to address the problem.
During an earlier hearing, the bench had directed the government to provide the infrastructure facilities to the Monitoring Committee appointed by it under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retired) S Rajeswaran.
Today, the bench, went through the affidavit filed by the

Collector of Chennai in which it was stated that Taluk-level Monitoring committee's were formed to streamline the procedures for removal of unauthorised digital banners.
It said that up to March 29 last, a total of 765 unauthorised hoardings and 8,064 digital banners were removed and FIRs registered in certain cases.

Ramaswamy, in a sub-application, has alleged that even after the court orders and contempt petitions, the menace of defacement of public walls was continuing with the connivance of the officials and enclosed some photographs.
It directed the newly-added respondents to file an appropriate affidavit keeping in mind the allegations made in the sub-application and the developments thereafter.
The bench then posted the matter for further hearing to
June 22.