Tamil Nadu: Probe finds judge misused power to act against police officer, ex-aide over personal row

The Madras High Court has ordered disciplinary action against Kancheepuram Principal District and Sessions Judge Pa U Chemmal in Tamil Nadu after an inquiry found that he had misused judicial authority to act against his former personal security officer and a deputy superintendent of police because of personal animosity, The Indian Express reported.

On Tuesday, Justice N Sathish Kumar directed the court registry to place the inquiry report before the vigilance committee of senior judges for action.

Kumar also directed that the inquiry report be placed before a transfer committee to move the judge out of Kancheepuram, stating that it was no longer tenable for him to continue there.

The case stems from a dispute in Walajabad town of Kancheepuram district in July between a bakery owner and a customer about an allegedly stale cake, the newspaper reported.

The bakery belonged to the father-in-law of Chemmal’s former security officer, R Lokeshwaran. The customer is a member of a Scheduled Caste.

The complaints registered by both sides in the case had been dismissed after the parties agreed to settle the matter amicably.

However, suspecting that Lokeshwaran was spreading rumours about him, Chemmal allegedly pressured the police to register first information reports against the security officer and his family under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of...

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