HC asks Mayor to make public apology for passing resolution

The Madras High Court today directed the Mayor of Vellore Municipal Corporation to make a public apology through the media for passing a resolution against Karnataka Special Court Judge John Michael D'Cunha for sentencing the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate wealth case.
The Mayor P Karthiyayani had earlier submitted a letter to the Corporation Commissioner expressing regret and apology for passing the resolution as per the instruction of the High Court.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan, direted her to publicise her letter through media statements.
Judge D'Cunha had on September 27 convicted and sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore for amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of her income.

Immediately after the judgement, the Mayor passed a resolution in the Corporation against the D'Cuna.
The Bench also directed her to submit a copy of her letter in the court, which should also be sent to D'Cunha along with the court's order today.

In a similar case, Samathur Town Panchayat President S K Chitra also filed an affidavit stating that a resolution was passed condemning the Special Judge and having realised the mistake, it was cancelled.
Concurring with the arguments of senior counsel P Wilson that the Panchayat has no power to cancel a resolution and only government has power to do so, the bench said "counsel for the petitioner points out that the cancellation can be carried out only by government under section 36 of District Municipalities Act, 1920, hence the government should take necessary steps within a week to cancel the resolution.

"We make it clear to the government that the resolution passed on September 30 should be obliterated from the record. We direct Chitra to issue an apology through press statements and a copy of it be sent to D'Cunha.
The bench then posted the matter for further compliance to January one, 2015.