Baalu's 'contemptuous' remarks, SC to examine television tapes

The Supreme Court has decided to examine the tapes and microchips of two TV channels which had telecast certain contemptuous remarks made by him against it on the Sethusamudram project "bandh" row. The court termed the allegations against Union Minister T R Baalu "very serious". A bench of Justices B N Aggrawal asked the channels "Times Now" and "Jaya TV", the latter owned by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, to hand over the tapes and microchips to it, so that they could examine the contents before proceeding further with the contempt petition against Baalu. The Union Transport Minister is alleged to have made "derogatory" remarks against the apex court for staying the 1st October 2007 "state-sponsored" bandh called by the ruling DMK and its allies for expeditious completion of the Sethusamudram project. The bench also issued notices to two reporters and two photographers of the channels who covered the event to file their response in connection with the incident. "From the allegations made it is a serious matter. Very serious matter," the bench remarked, when senior counsel and former judge of the A P High Court M N Rao appearing for Baalu tried to intervene. Rao on his part questioned the maintainability of the contempt petition filed by the AIADMK on the ground that courts do not have power to entertain such petitions against a Union Minister without prior sanction of the Attorney General.

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