[MHAA Elections Booth Capturing] Glory of Advocates Association has to be regained: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court Thursday assured all members of the Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) that it will go through the Teller Committee's report and the CCTV footage from January 9, to identify those guilty of booth capturing and vandalism that took place on the day of elections to the MHAA [K Sathyabal v The Chairman].

A bench of Justices R Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq was hearing around 200 lawyers, all of them members of MHAA, who had gathered seeking that the court punish those guilty of booth capturing and that it fix a fresh date for the re-election.

"Our primary concern is to ensure all your issues. This court and all of you must remember that the glory of this Association has to be regained. We have heard all of you and the Teller Committee. We have the report and CCTV footage and we will go through everything. We will fix a new date for the elections within a short span of time," the Court said.

On January 9, the MHAA elections that were scheduled following the high court's order of October 2021, were stalled and eventually called off by the Teller Committee following allegations of booth capturing.

The Court had then directed the MHAA Teller Committee to submit a report detailing what happened on the polling day.

On Thursday, Committee chairperson MK Kabir submitted his report and also submitted the CCTV footage from the day telling the court that the CCTV cameras had captured the entire incident of booth capturing and the ruckus and violence that followed.

The lawyers present in court urged the bench not to "remain a mute spectator," and to ensure that no one takes the High Court for granted.

The bench then said that it will ensure that all issues raised by the MHAA members are addressed.

Senior Counsel NGR Prasad, S Prabhakaran and advocates K Sathyabal and several other lawyers appeared for the MHAA members.

Senior Counsel MK Kabir appeared for the Teller Committee.