Deepam row | Madras High Court directs Chief Secretary, ADGP (L&O) to appear on December 17

Chennai: Hearing a contempt petition regarding non-compliance of his order over lighting of Karthigai Deepam at the Thiruparankundram hills, Justice G R Swaminathan of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Chief Secretary and Additional Director General of Police (L&O) to appear before him on December 17.

Justice Swaminathan also issued statutory notice A G Inigo Divyan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Madurai South), for stopping the petitioners from enforcing the orders of lighting the lamp on the Deepathoon on December 4.

The judge, at the request of the petitioners, also impleaded Union Home Secretary in the case and issued notice to him.

“I direct the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu and the Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Chennai to appear before this Court through VC on December 17, 2025 at 03.00 pm,” justice Swaminathan wrote in his order.

Contending that he was certain that officials at the district level would not dare to so brazenly defy the orders of this Court, the judge said he wants to remind the officials concerned that their duty is to enforce the law and not go by dictates that are often issued orally.

“While the order of any administrative superior has to be complied with, this obligation does not extend to illegal orders. I have already ordered notice in the contempt petition. It is beyond dispute that the order of this Court has been breached repeatedly. Such a breach would acquire acontumacious character only if it is wilful,” he said.

Justice Swaminathan initiated the contempt petition after the government refused to light the lamp at the Deepathoon at the Thiruparankundram Murugan temple as per his orders. Instead, the lamp was lit at the usual place in Uchipillaiyar Temple.