Actor Suriya will not face contempt case over his comments on the judiciary in his statement about the NEET recently. The Madras High Court on Friday called the actor's comments "unnecessary and unwarranted" but ruled that there would be no contempt proceedings.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice AP Sahi rejected Justice SM Balasubramaniam’s request to initiate contempt proceedings against the actor, the News Minute stated in a report. High Court judge Balasubramaniam had said the actor was in contempt of court over his comments on the functioning of virtual courts during the pandemic, in the statement he released on NEET and struggles of students appearing for exams amid the pandemic. Suriya had criticised judges who appear via video-conferencing due to fears of infection amid the pandemic, while telling students to be fearless and appear for the exams in person. Stating that Suriya’s statement amounts to “contempt of court”, Balasubramaniam had pointed out that the integrity and devotion of the judges as well as the judicial system “are undermined and criticised in a bad shape.”
The court called Suriya’s comments unnecessary, "The utterances by the cine actor are unnecessary and unwarranted for being ignorant of the manner in which the entire judiciary of this state has served the interest of it's citizens the state has been serving during this pandemic ...," the court said.
The court added: "A statement made in exuberance may bring about a trial and, therefore, in view of the peculiar status on which this institution is pedestalled under the Constitution, it would be prudent on the part of the individuals to carefully frame their minds and express themselves that may not cross the borders of any fair and just criticism. On the other hand, it is not the job of a constitutional Court to use a sledgehammer for avoidance of something which can be perceived to be not capable of even being propped up as a contempt, much less debated to the level of a criminal contempt."
Suriya had on September 13 put out a letter condemning the NEET exam. His letter came following reports of three NEET aspirants in Tamil Nadu dying by suicide just a day before the exam was held.
