HC dismisses contempt petition against authorities

The Madras High Court has dismissed a contempt petition against authorities for their alleged "wilful" disobedience of its order banning pictures of living persons in banners and hoardings.
Justice Vaidyanathan dismissed the contempt petition filed by social activist "Traffic" Ramaswamy yesterday.
The petitioner submitted that the authorities had failed to implement the October 23 high court order imposing a blanket ban on banners or hoardings carrying images of people who are alive.
The judge noted that the First Bench of the court on December 20, 2017 set aside the earlier order on the matter to a limited extent as regards depiction of photos in banners of persons who are alive.

The judge said the grievance of the petitioner was that photographs of living persons were depicted in the banners till the earlier order was partially modified by the First Bench.
"I am of the view that since the order dated October 23, 2017 passed by me got merged with the order dated December 20, 2017 passed by the First Bench of this court on the principle of Doctrine of Merger, the present contempt petition cannot be entertained."
However, if the petitioner was aggrieved, it was open to him to put forth his grievance before the division bench concerned, the judge said and dismissed the contempt petition.