Contempt plea against Vellore Mayor dropped

The High Court on Thursday dropped criminal contempt charges against Vellore (Tamil Nadu) Mayor Karthiyayini, after she told the court that she would personally submit an unconditional apology letter to the special court judge Michael John Cunha. She also submitted that she would publish the apology in two Kannada and two English dailies in Karnataka.

 A criminal contempt petition was filed against Karthiyayini for passing a resolution condemning the order of the special court judge Michael John Cunha, who convicted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha in a disproportionate assets case. The petitioners had contended that Karthiyayini, a AIADMK member, and the party councillors had passed a resolution in the municipal council in September 2014 condemning the order of special court and burnt the effigy of the judge.

The mayor broke down in the court room after the petitioners, A Dharmapal, an advocate, and others insisted on initiating the criminal contempt proceedings against her.  A division bench comprising Justices H Billappa and K B Phaneendra advised her not to repeat such acts in future.

 Karthiyayini filed another affidavit in the court tendering unconditional apology and stating that she would not repeat such acts in future.  Earlier, the mayor in her affidavit had stated that no resolution had been passed condemning the judgement. However, a resolution was passed expressing deep sorrow and anguish over the conviction and sentencing of Jayalalitha. The resolution also stated that the order should be challenged legally so that Jayalalitha could be re-instated as the chief minister and only these details were recorded in the minutes book. She also had submitted in the court that in a similar contempt proceedings before the Madras High Court, her unconditional apology was accepted and she was directed to publish her apology in the newspapers.