Hours after actor Suriya slammed the courts of the country over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and for being ‘unfair’ to the students registered for entrance exams, Justice SM Subramaniam of the Madras High Court wrote to the High Court Chief Justice to initiate contempt proceedings against the actor. He said that Suriya’s statement would warrant contempt proceedings since it criticised the judges and the judicial system of the country.
In his letter to Chief Justice AP Sahi, Justice SM Subramaniam said that he saw the actor’s statement on NEET and entrance exams on TV and YouTube. The judge was referring to Suriya’s comment that while justice is provided through video-conferencing due to fear of infection, the judges have told the students to appear for the exams in person, without fear, and write them.
“The Statement reveals that the Hon'ble Judges are afraid of their own life and rendering justice through video conferencing. While-so, they have no morale to pass orders directing the students to appear for NEET Exam without fear,” Justice SM Subramaniam wrote.
“The said statement in my considered opinion amounts to contempt of Court as the integrity and devotion of the Hon'ble Judges as well as the Judicial System of our Great Nation are not only undermined but criticised in a bad shape,” Justice SM Subramaniam wrote, adding that this would lead to a threat for the public confidence on the judiciary.
Pointing at these arguments, Justice SM Subramaniam requested the Chief justice to initiate contempt proceedings against the actor and ‘uphold the Majesty of our Indian Judicial System.’
Actor Suriya, on Sunday, released a statement against the concept of conducting entrance exams including NEET and called them ‘Manuneethi tests’. In his carefully worded, scathing statement, Suriya took swipes at the government, the courts and the media for being ruthless in its approach around entrance tests.