HC rejects plea against amicus curiae

Madras High Court today dismissed as withdrawn a miscellaneous petition seeking discharge of advocate V Suresh as amicus curiae in the alleged multi-crore beach sand mining case.
First bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sunder rejected the petitioner's charge that Suresh had earlier appeared on behalf of a 'henchman' of a rival firm in the case.
The counsels for the petitioner were unable to place any more records except that the amicus curie had written letters to the District Collectors in the matter of beach sand mining, it said.
"If you make submissions against amicus curie you should be very responsible... We have to take that you have no material other than that was filed in the affidavit," the bench said in its order and dismissed the petition as withdrawn.

The court also said just because he was counsel for one of the parties it cannot be said he had conflict of interest.
It said the appointment of Suresh was based on informed conscience of all the counsels and posted to tomorrow batch of petitions, including appeals and review pleas, on alleged illegal beach sand mining.
Petitioner Stephen David, General Manager, Trans World Garnet India Pvt. Ltd had also alleged that Suresh was also the editor of a Magazine- The PUCL Bulletin, published by the People Union for Civil Liberties, in which 'motivated and genetically' engineered articles had been published about mining activities.

The court had earlier suo motu taken up the matter of beach sand mining.