SC seeks Baalu TV tapes

New Delhi Dec. 10: Taking serious note of union shipping minister T R Baalu’s remarks in connection with a state-sponsored bandh in support of the Sethusamudram project which allegedly amoun- ted to contempt of court, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked two television channels to provide the tapes and microchips of the event for examination. Justice B N Aggrawal asked the regional and national channels to hand over the tapes and microchips, so that the contents could be examined before proceeding further with contempt petition against Mr Baalu. The minister is alleged to have made ‘derogatory’ remarks against the court for staying the October 1, 2007 ‘state-sponsored’ bandh called by the ruling DMK and its allies for expeditious completion of the Sethusamudram project. The bench has 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,” the bench remar- ked, when senior counsel and former judge of the AP High Court M N Rao appearing for Mr Baalu tried to intervene. Senior counsel Rao argued that the tapes and microchips could not be relied upon as they could have been doctored by the channels, which he alleged were favourably inclin- ed towards the opposition AIAIDMK. He claimed that a political battle was being waged in the highest court under the cloak of a contempt petition. Brushing aside the argument, the bench asked Mr Baalu to produce the original tapes from other television channels which had also apparently covered the incident.

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