SC appoints third judge in AIADMK MLAs disqualification case

New Delhi, June 27: The Supreme Court on Wednesday replaced the third judge appointed by the Madras High Court to hear the plea by 17 unseated AIADMK MLAs belonging to the T.T.V. Dinakaran faction and instead named Justice M. Sathyanarayanan in her place. A vacation bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the apex court appointed Justice Sathyanarayanan as the third judge to hear the case following a split verdict by a two-judge bench of the Madras High Court challenging their disqualification from the membership of the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Following the split verdict, Justice Vimala was originally appointed by the High Court as the third judge. While Chief Justice Indira Banerjee upheld the Speaker’s order disqualifying the 18 MLAs, Justice M. Sundar set aside the order. The apex court also declined a plea by the disqualified lawmakers seeking a transfer of their plea from the Madras High Court to the Supreme Court. The court appointed Justice Sathyanarayanan after the unseated MLAs withdrew their aspersions against the third judge, who was appointed earlier to hear the matter. Noting that all the aspersions against the third judge stand expunged, the court said: “We consider it appropriate to assign the matter to Justice Satyanarayana. He will hear the matter and decide.” (IANS)