Inaction in release of convicts will be treated as Contempt: Madras High Court

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court today warned the Tamil Nadu government that its failure to release the life convicts, as per its order, would be treated as "contempt of court".

"Despite an order passed by this Court on January 22 this year, granting relief of premature release to the detenus, they have not been released till date and more than a month has passed. But the authorities have slept over the matter. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor still submits that the orders will be passed by government soon," the division bench said.

The Bench, comprising Justice S Rajeswaran and Justice P N Prakash said this while passing interim orders on two different Haebeas Corpus petitions. It then adjourned the matter for final disposal to March 7.

It is made clear that if no orders are passed on or before the above mentioned date by the government releasing the detenus', appropriate orders will be passed by this court considering the inaction on the part of the Authorities as 'Contempt of Court", the Bench said.

It also directed the registry to post the matter before it as Specially Ordered Case on March 7.

The matter pertains to one Deva, undergoing life imprisonment in Puzhal jail and one Rajendran in Coimbatore Central Jail, who were ordered to be prematurely released by the High Court.

But the order was not implemented by the government till date.

Hence relatives of the prisoners again filed Haebeas Corpus petitions.