Deepam row: Cases registered for remarks against Justice Swaminathan, Tamil Nadu DGP tells Supreme Court

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu DGP has told the Supreme Court that police have taken necessary action and cases have been registered against protesters who allegedly made caste and religion-based defamatory remarks against Justice G R Swaminathan of Madras High Court following his order allowing the lighting of 'Karthigai Deepam' oil lamp on the Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai.

In an affidavit filed in the top court, DGP G Venkataraman also submitted that instructions have already been issued to all superintendents of police in districts and others to take immediate and effective action to ensure that no such book having such pictorial representations, statements, caricatures, or contents tending to scandalise the Court/Judge is allowed to be published or circulated.

"It is humbly submitted that the Greater Chennai Police has taken necessary action regarding the petitioner's allegations concerning the sit circulation of defamatory, derogatory, abusive and scandalous posts on social media platforms, including X, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and other digital forums.

"The Cyber Crime Cell under the Central Crime Branch of Greater Chennai Police has promptly taken action and assigned appropriate current numbers to the petition. Since the petition has not provided details of social media posts and handles alleged to have posted objectionable remarks, immediately, action was taken by the Cyber Crime Cell by checking the social media for the said objectionable posts/contents and accordingly identified 9 social media handles on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Youtube and other platforms," the DGP told the court.

The submissions have been made in response to a plea filed by advocate G S Mani alleging that ruling DMK-supported parties, including communist parties, along with certain individuals and lawyers, conducted illegal protests not only in public places but also within the premises of the Madras High Court in Chennai and Madurai, making highly contemptuous remarks against Justice Swaminathan.

The affidavit contended that the Cyber Crime Cell of Greater Chennai Police has sent a requisition on January 22 to the nodal officers of the concerned social media intermediaries to remove the said content, block the impersonating accounts, preserve the original URL and send the identities of the handles for taking appropriate legal action as per the law.

However, the reply is yet to be received in this regard, it said.

The top court on January 28 had issued notices to the state government, the director general of police, Chennai commissioner of police and others on Mani's plea.

It had directed the state government to file a status report in the matter and posted the case for hearing on February 2.

The plea alleged that the "caste and religion-based defamatory remarks" were made with the intention of disturbing social harmony and provoking law and order and communal unrest.

The plea sought directions to the Tamil Nadu government and police authorities to initiate strict legal action, including criminal proceedings, against those responsible for such acts.

On December 1, 2025, Justice Swaminathan allowed writ petitions that sought a direction for appropriate arrangements to light the Karthigai Deepam at the 'Dheepathoon', a stone lamp pillar located on the Thiruparankundram hillock close to a dargah.

"By lighting the lamp at Deepathoon, which is meant for that purpose, the structure of the Dargha is not in any way affected and the Dargha is located at a safe distance of not less than 50 metres away from the stone pillar," the judge had said in the order.

When the order remained unimplemented, the judge passed another order on December 3 permitting devotees themselves to light the lamp and directed the Central Industrial Security Force to ensure their protection. This led the Tamil Nadu government to move the top court.