Actor Suriya had published a letter on September 13 condemning the NEET exam.
The Main Chamber of the Madras High Court did not initiate contempt proceedings against actor Suriya for his comments against the judiciary in the country. The actor had criticized the judiciary in his recently released statement on the National Cum Entry Eligibility Test (NEET).
A bench made up of Supreme Court Chief Justice AP Sahi rejected Judge SM Subramaniam’s request to initiate contempt proceedings against the actor for his comments. Judge SM Subramaniam had justified his claim to initiate contempt proceedings against Suriya as the actor’s statements criticized the Indian judges and judicial system and added that he had seen the actor’s statement on television and YouTube. Judge SM Subramaniam was referring to Suriya’s comment on the functioning of the courts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Suriya had criticized the judiciary, noting that while judges appear by videoconference for fear of infection, the courts tell students not to be afraid and to take exams in person.
Asking Suriya to consider his words before speaking, the HC said: “A statement made exuberantly may lead to a trial and therefore, in view of the peculiar status this institution is in under the Constitution, it would be wise on the part of people to carefully frame their minds and express themselves that they cannot cross the boundaries of any fair and just criticism. “
The court also criticized Suriya, saying: “Based on the support of what we have expressed earlier in this document, we find that the statements of the film actor may have been absolutely unnecessary or even unjustified, for ignoring the way in which all power This state’s judicial system has served the interests of its citizens during this pandemic, and any such statement could have been avoided in a much more sober way, rather than an accusing tone, which although trivial in nature has caused a storm in a cup of tea “.
However, the court noted that Suriya’s comments amount to neither the level of contempt nor the level of criminal contempt. “On the other hand, it is not the job of a Constitutional Court to use a gavel to avoid something that may be perceived as incapable of being propped up even as contempt, much less debated at the level of criminal contempt. “Said the order. “This matter, therefore, in our judicious discretion, does not deserve further investigation and we fully agree with the opinion expressed by the learned counsel general,” the court added.
Judge SM Subramaniam, in his letter requesting contempt proceedings, had said: “The Declaration reveals that the honorable judges fear for their own lives and do justice through videoconferences. Meanwhile, they don’t have the morale to pass orders directing students to take the NEET test without fear. “
Actor Suriya had published a letter on September 13 condemning the NEET exam. His letter came after reports of three NEET applicants who died by suicide the day before the exam was to take place on Sunday. Calling these exams “Manu Dharma tests”, Suriya had written: “Manuneethi exams” like the NEET not only snatch opportunities from our students, they also end up killing them. It becomes a life sentence for parents who lose their children to the unfair examination system. It is important that parents and teachers are vigilant in an educational system that does not care in the least about the well-being of students. “
Suriya, who runs the Agaram Trust, a welfare institution that supports the education of students from difficult backgrounds, also added: “NEET has killed three students in one day. What happened today, happened yesterday. It will also happen tomorrow. This will continue to happen if we are not vigilant. We must not be silent bystanders to the deaths of innocent students. Let us raise our voices, as a society, against the NEETs who set fire to the medical aspirations of students from ordinary families ”.
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