A Madras High Court judge has framed charges against producer Ishari Ganesh for having tried to influence him through a mutual friend in relation to Nadigar Sangam elections.
According to reports in The Hindu, Ishari Ganesh, who contested for the post of the General Secretary of the South Indian Film Artistes Association against actor Vishal, tried to get Anantharaman, a mutual friend of Ganesh and justice N Anand Venkatesh, to talk to the judge and postpone the elections.
According to a detailed order passed by Justice N Anand Venkatesh, he received a call around noon on Saturday that the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Vijaya Kamalesh Tahilramani has allowed Nadigar Sangam to move an urgent petition seeking direction to the Chennai police to provide security for the elections that were slotted to be held on Sunday. Justice Anand Venkatesh, who was in Vellore, immediately started his journey back to Chennai. When the Justice was nearing Chennai, he received a call from his friend Anantharaman who broached the topic of the Nadigar Sangam case. This prompted the judge to cut the call without responding.
In his order, the judge stated that Anantharaman told him over the phone that he knew Ishari Ganesh, who is interested in this case, and he wanted the judge to adjourn the case by a couple of weeks so that the elections will not take place on Sunday. As the judge reached home to several media persons and policemen due to the popularity of the case, he spotted Anantharaman on his way to his house. Pressing again for the adjournment of the case by at least two weeks, Anantharaman allegedly told the Justice that Ishari Ganesh had done a lot of help for his organisation and hence he was obliged to return the favour. Justice Anand Venkatesh then said that he later learnt that the phone call he received from Anantharaman was made while Anantharaman was sitting inside his (Justice's) house.
Justice Anand Venkatesh observed that this act was shocking that a party who is interested in case and who is also a candidate in the Nadigar Sangam elections approaches a judge seeking favours.
The Justice has therefore ordered the registry to number suo motu criminal contempt petition against the two men and issue notices to them in this regard.