HC disposes Vijayakant's plea

The Madras High Court today disposed of a batch of petitions filed DMDK leader Vijyakant challenging the constitutional validity of IPC sections 499 and 500 relating defamation after the counsel for the actor- turned-politician submitted that they have filed a similar plea in the Supreme Court and it was pending before it.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, disposed of the petitions filed by Vijayakant and his wife Premalatha seeking to declare the sections as unconstitutional after recording the submission made by the lawyer for the petitioners that they would like to withdraw their pleas as arguments have commenced in the Supreme Court in the similar matter.

They also sought to declare section 299 and 199 of Crpc which empowers the state government to issue order to file criminal defamation cases against anybody through the Public Prosecutor as unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, another petition filed by DMDK seeking a direction to police to grant permission and protection to the human chain procession scheduled to be conducted this evening was adjourned by Justice M Sathyanarayanan after recording the submission of Advocate General that the petitioner's request was rejected in view of the decision of police not to permit organising human chain by any political party.
The Advocate General submitted that the length of the human chain sought for by the petitioners is from Koyambedu to Secreatariat, which is about 11.5 Kms. If permission was granted to it, work of Chennai Metro Rail in the entire stretch would be affected.

The judge said the petitioners have not given sufficient time to the police as they have submitted the application for permission only on August 4. The judge gave liberty to them to file a fresh petition giving sufficient time to police to consider it.
The Judge further advised to withdraw the petition or amend the prayer in the petition.
The Judge then adjourned the matter to August 10 after the submission of the petitioner's counsel that he will submit it after making amendments.