L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 20.08.2026 CORAM : THE HONOURABLE MR. SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.ARUL MURUGAN L.P.A.Nos.8 & 11 of 2024 & Cont.A.Nos.1 & 2 of 2024 & C.M.P.Nos.9669, 12536, 1770, 1816 of 2024 L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 Magaeswari Ravi Kumar I.A.S. Additional Secretary to Government, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Secretariat, Chennai 9. Appellant(s) Vs 1. High Court of Madras Chennai-104 2. Shreya P. Singh I.A.S. Executive Director, Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women, Chennai. Respondent(s) L.P.A.No.11 of 2024 Shreya P. Singh I.A.S Executive Director, Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women, Chennai Appellant(s) __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. Vs 1. High Court of Madras Chennai 2. Mageswari Ravi Kumar I.A.S. Additional Secretary to Government, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Secretariat, Chennai-600 009. Respondent(s) Cont.P.No.1 of 2024 Dr.J.Vijaya Rani I.A.S. The Arbitrator and District Collector, Singaravelar Maaligai, 62, Rajaji Salai, Chennai 600 001. Appellant(s) Vs The High Court of Madras Madras 600 104. Respondent(s) Cont.P.No.2 of 2024 S.Amirtha Jothi, I.A.S., Presently Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Chennai 600 005. Appellant(s) Vs The High Court of Madras Madras 600 104. Respondent(s) __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. Prayer :L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 - Appeal filed under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent against the order dated 26.03.2024 made in Suo Mottu Contempt Petition No.132 of 2024 and the statutory notice in Suo Mottu Contempt Petition No.974 of 2024; L.P.A.No.11 of 2024 - Appeal filed under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent against the order dated 26.03.2024 made in Suo Motu Contempt Petition No.132 of 2024 and Suo Motu Contempt Petition No. 2542 of 2023; Cont.A.No.1 of 2024 - Appeal filed under Section 19 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 against the order dated 05.01.2024 made in Suo Motu Contempt Petition No.2542 of 2023; and Cont.A.No.2 of 2024 - Appeal filed under Section 19 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 against the order dated 05.01.2024 made in Contempt Petition No.2542 of 2023. For Appellant(s): Mr.P.V.Balasubramaniam Additional Advocate General Assisted by Mr.C.A.Ramanan Government Advocate For Respondent(s): Mr.P.V.Balasubramaniam Additional Advocate General Assisted by Mr.C.A.Ramanan Government Advocate for R2 (LPA Nos.8 & 11 of 2024) __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. JUDGMENT (Judgment of the Court was delivered by the Hon'ble Chief Justice) Both Letters Patent Appeals arise out of the common order dated 26.03.2024 passed in Suo motu Contempt Petition No.132 of 2024 and Suo motu Contempt Petition No.2542 of 2023. The Contempt Appeals arise out of the order dated 05.01.2024 passed in Contempt Petition No.2542 of 2023. 2. The entire issue arises out of the order dated 09.10.2023 passed in W.P.Nos.28755, 28758, 28759 & 28761 of 2023, allowing the writ petitions, taking into consideration that the interim order dated 19.11.2018 passed in SLP(C) Diary No.36319 of 2018 by the Hon'ble Supreme Court has been violated by respondents, by ignoring the same and passing order on merits, which is against the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court and consequently, initiating suo motu contempt against respondents 1 and 2 in the writ petitions. 3. The said suo motu contempt petition was taken on file and __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. was registered as Suo motu Contempt Petition No.2542 of 2023. While dealing with the aforesaid suo motu contempt petition, the learned Single Judge also found that two more officers have committed the contempt of the orders passed in the aforesaid SLP and initiated further suo motu contempt against other officers and the same was registered as Suo motu Contempt Petition No.132 of 2024. 4. All the four officers, being aggrieved by the initiation of suo motu contempt proceedings against them and issuance of statutory notice, are before us in the above appeals. 5. The learned Single Judge, on merits, found that the impugned order, challenged in the writ petitions, passed by respondents 1 and 2 cannot be sustained in view of the interim orders passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court and allowed the writ petitions by setting aside the order. The learned Single Judge did not stop at that stage and directed to initiate suo motu action against the officers concerned on the ground that there is a __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. violation of the interim order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. 6. Learned Additional Advocate General appearing for appellants submitted that the learned Single Judge exceeded his jurisdiction in initiating suo motu contempt proceedings against the officers inasmuch as if at all there is any violation of the interim order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, the Hon'ble Supreme Court itself would have the jurisdiction to deal with the non- compliance of its own orders and not the High Court. 7. Learned Additional Advocate General further submitted that the interim order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court relate to some other acquisition and not connected with the subject matter of the writ petitions, as, respondents in the writ petitions were not even party to the proceedings before the Hon'ble Supreme Court. 8. Learned Additional Advocate General also submitted that the stay granted by the Hon'ble Supreme Court relates to the impugned order assailed in the SLP and not to the impugned orders __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. assailed in the present writ petitions and therefore, the orders passed by the learned Single Judge initiating suo motu contempt deserve to be set aside. 9. It is also brought to our notice that the very order passed in the batch of writ petitions dated 09.10.2023 is challenged in writ appeals, in which, interim orders have also been passed by the Division Bench staying the order dated 09.10.2023. 10. Without entering into the merits of the writ petition, we find that the initiation of suo motu contempt proceedings was not called for in view of the fact that the writ petitions were allowed and the impugned orders were quashed. Even the interim order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court relates to the impugned order challenged in SLP and not to the impugned order assailed in the writ petitions. Therefore, initiation of suo motu contempt proceedings against appellants herein is unwarranted and uncalled for. Accordingly, we set aside the same. Both the contempt proceedings initiated against the appellants are dropped. __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. 11. The letters patent appeals and the contempt appeals are allowed. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, the interim applications are closed. (SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI,CJ) (G.ARUL MURUGAN,J) 20.08.2026 Index : Yes/No Neutral Citation : Yes/No kpl __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis L.P.A.No.8 of 2024 etc. THE HON'BLE CHIEF JUSTICE AND G.ARUL MURUGAN,J. (kpl) L.P.A.Nos.8 & 11 of 2024 & Cont.A.Nos.1 & 2 of 2024 20.08.2026 __________ https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis