4 months ago
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The Madras High Court connected Wednesday closed the suo motu contempt of tribunal proceedings initiated against Keezhaikattru Publishers aft Greater Chennai City Police reported that nary publication titled ‘Thirupparankundram Issue: Is G.R. Swaminathan a justice oregon a RSS Rowdy?’ was published and sold astatine the Chennai Book Fair 2026 organised by Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI).
First Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan besides closed a writ petition which sought a absorption to the constabulary to prehend each those books. The petitioner P. Naveenprasad of Vellore had relied upon a flyer circulated wide connected the societal media claiming the publication would beryllium disposable for merchantability astatine stall numbers 172 and 173 of the Chennai Book Fair 2026.
Passing interim orders successful the lawsuit connected January 7, 2026, the Chief Justice’s Bench had observed: “On the look of it, the projected merchandise of the publication arsenic titled and shown successful the petition is highly derogatory and abusive and crosses each limits and needs to beryllium dealt with stern hands by the court.” The Bench directed the constabulary to guarantee that nary specified book, tending to scandalise the judge, was published and sold.
In compliance of the order, Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran connected Wednesday told the tribunal the constabulary had conducted a hunt astatine the Chennai Book Fair 2026 betwixt 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. connected January 7 and recovered stall numbers 172 and 173 had been allotted to Jeeva Pathipagam and Iyagriva Publishers and not to Keezhaikaatru Publishers who had occupied stall numbers 174 and 175.
The AAG besides submitted an enactment taken study filed by Saidapet Inspector of Police K. Settu, nether whose territorial jurisdiction the publication just was conducted, and the Inspector had said: “Thereby, I conducted a thorough hunt of the said stalls and recovered that nary objectionable books, caricature including pictorial practice and nary objectionable books were recovered successful immoderate physics devices (sic).”
Also stating to person inquired the publishers astir the publication and the societal media posts done which it had been publicised, the Inspector said: “In response, Keezhaikaatru Publishers stated that upon receiving an objection from BAPASI connected January 3, 2026 Facebook Post stated that they are halt selling each the books including pictorial practice relating to this issue. (sic)”
The enactment taken study further read: “The president/head of BAPASI besides furnished a written connection connected January 19, 2026 confirming that nary specified publication was published oregon sold successful immoderate of the stalls astatine the publication rair... Further, I authorities that from January 7 to till the completion of the publication just connected January 21, 2026, I continuously monitored the activities of publication fair. No specified books was published are (sic) sold successful the supra stalls.”
