HC issues bailable warrants against advt firms' officers

The Madras High Court today issued bailable warrants against officers/Managing Directors of some advertisement firms for having chosen to absent themselves rather than face the court proceedings.
The matter relates to a PIL filed by K Muthukrishnan of Tondiarpet for pro-active action to curb unauthorized hoardings.
When it came up before the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh, the court directed the Registrar Judicial to hold an inquiry and fix responsibility for suitable punishment against persons concerned for not serving the bailable warrant issued against Sri Jayaram Publicity, Sri Ganesh Publicity and Sri JVM Publicity.

Mentioning about people who try to put back hoardings even after removal, the court observed that police would be well within their rights to take such people into custody for interrogation.
The petitioner submitted that after authorities started taking action on hoardings, the three publicity companies in Anna Salai, Chennai, filed various petitions and are enjoying an interim stay restraining authorities from removing their digital banners erected at various business premises to an extent of 100 sqft, except by due process of law.
Advocate General A L Somayaji submitted that the number of hoardings removed as on April 7, 2016 was 219. The bench then directed that all related cases be posted before it.

It directed the three firms to bear the removal charges of the hoardings. It also directed them to disclose the income derived from these hoardings and amounts paid to the owners and appropriated by them to the Collector within two weeks.

When Senior counsel Sathish Parasaran said if real estate developers are interested in installing hoardings at their respective sites, action should not be taken against them.
The court said it had expected 42 people in charge of
advertisement firms to participate in court proceedings but had stayed away despite being intimated.
".. We are not willing to accept the position where such parties keep away from court proceedings and break the law."

"We have thus have no option but to issue bailable warrants against officers/managing directors of the respective entities and a sum of Rs 10,000 with one surety each for a like sum for the respondents to serve on all these persons."
"In fact, our endeavour is to see that not only the hoardings are removed but that the monies earned from such illegal hoardings are brought into court so as to remove any incentive for continuing such illegalities," the court said.