HC declines to quash charge sheet

Observing that a child would look at his or her parents as a role model, the Madras High Court today declined to quash a charge sheet filed against an advocate on the file of Judicial Magistrate, Coonoor, Nilgiris district.
Justice P.N.Prakash was dismissing a criminal original petition filed by G.Mohanraj, an advocate, seeking to quash the charge sheet against him.
"The child would look at the parents as its role model and would imbibe their qualities and character. The petitioner G. Mohanraj, who belongs to a noble profession, cannot conduct himself in an unbecoming manner and bring disrepute to legal fraternity," the judge said, referring to a poem in Tamil classic 'Thirukkural'.

The matter relates to Mohanraj's son, who was studying in class V in Holy Innocents High School Wellington, Nilgiris. He was found to be very mischievous and ill-behaved and his teachers had sent for his parents to meet the Principal of the school in January, 2009.
The Principal had alleged that when Mohanraj turned up, he spoke rudely to her and said being a lawyer he would close down the school. The Principal summoned the teachers. Mohanraj allegedly made disparaging remarks against them and shot some videos of the teachers.
Irked by the behavior, the Principal informed police. However, when the police came, he agreed to amicably settle the issue with the school management.

When the Principal requested Mohanraj to return the video footage, her request was not acceded to following which she lodged a complaint on February 6, 2009 before the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Western Region - Coimbatore, based on which police registered a case under various IPC sections.

After completing the investigation, police filed a charge sheet.
Rejecting the contentions of the counsel for petitioner that the entire prosecution was vitiated, the judge said the Principal had no ulterior motive against the petitioner for foisting a false case against them.
Dismissing the petition, the judge also directed the jurisdictional court to expeditiously proceed with the trial of the case as the incident had happened in 2009.