Monday 3 March 2003

There is still Justice in Judiciary

The acceptance of the suit O.S. No.668/2002 is challenged by the trustees. As per them my legal remedy lies only before the Madras High Court. I manage to get orders to the effect that I can challenge Mr. Menon’s impugned undated report at Pondicherry.

Meanwhile C.S. Narasimhan, trustees’ lawyer, gives oral undertaking before the court that food and shelter for me will not be disturbed. Yet lo and behold! I am denied food at Ashram Dining Room.

On 22.12.2002 I go for breakfast and I am denied food by Prafulla Kumari @ Pappu, Dining Room in-charge. My plate of food is snatched from me and in no uncertain terms I am told to leave. Luckily for me, or so I think, I see Mr. Narasimhan eating at Dining Room, which is his regular practice. I approach him and ask him to intervene to prevent violation of his undertaking. He shouts at me and asks me to approach the court. The beauty of the whole drama is that since Mr. Narasimhan gave an oral undertaking and since his clients, namely the trustees, are totally unethical, Mr. Narasimhan has also chosen to become unethical. So when the case comes before the Hon’ble Judge he denies having ever given such an undertaking. Amazing!

Anyhow after a thorough enquiry I am at last given final order of status quo on 31.12.2002. Everything, except the ‘Prosperity’ is restored to me. I am deeply grateful and wish to thank Mrs. Rajalakshmi, the Hon’ble Judge of the I ADM, Pondicherry, who upheld justice in spite of crushing pressure to the contrary.

Friday 24 January 2003

Suresh Chandra De (retd. IPS) Comes to his senses – Thank God

After still more vague Order dated 29.10.2001 passed by Mr. Justice P.D. Dinakaran in C.R.P. No. 2230/2001 & No. 2534/2001 in O.S.No.253/2001, trustees proceeded to conduct an enquiry against my four elder sisters while O.S. No.253/2001 was still pending. The trustees appointed one Mr. Suresh Chandra De, a retired police officer who had settled in Pondicherry, as the enquiry officer.

Suresh De, without going into the facts and circumstances of the case, issued my four elder sisters notice of enquiry. We issued a Legal Notice to Suresh De against this enquiry but he did not desist. We were constrained to file an interim petition in O.S. No.253/2001 against the trustees and Suresh De, for directing them to stop this enquiry.

The trustees rushed to the Madras High Court and filed a contempt petition. Trustees issued us personal notice informing us to be present when the matter would be heard by Mr. Justice P.D. Dinakaran. We appeared on 27.11.2002 and Matriprasad was also present in the court hall. Justice Dinakaran loudly asked Matriprasad from his high seat demanding to know why we ladies had been called since he had not issued any notice of contempt. Matriprasad had no reply.

Thereafter Mr. Justice Dinakaran orally directed Matriprasad that matters should be settled out of court by the trustees. A series of attempts for reconciliations were made but since the trustees repeatedly denied having caused us harassment and victimization, all the attempts failed. 

Good sense has prevailed at last as Mr. Suresh Chandra De desists from conducting any enquiry and we also did not press our interim petition against him in good faith.

Today Justice P.D. Dinakaran has dismissed the Contempt Petition filed by the trustees and no contempt was recorded against my four elder sisters.