Senthil Balaji case: Madras HC Chief Justice names Justice Karthikeyan as third judge

Chennai, July 5 (BPNS)

Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Justice SV Gangapurwala has named Justice C.V. Karthikeyan as the third judge to hear the Habeas corpus case filed by arrested minister Senthil Balaji’s wife S. Malliga.

The necessity of a third judge arrived after Justice Nisha Banu and Justice Bharat Chakravarthy gave split verdict on Tuesday   in the habeas corpus case filed by Senthil Balaji’s wife.

Justice Karthikeyan will now hear the case afresh and his decision will be final which will lead to a verdict of 2:1 as this would be the majority verdict.

It may be recalled that Justice J. Nisha Banu had held the Habeas Corpus Petition (HCP) maintainable and declared that the minister’s detention was illegal. The judge immediately ordered the release of the minister forthwith.

However her colleague in the same bench, Justice D. Bharath Chakravarthy disagreed with the conclusions of Justice Nisha Banu as also the reasons given by her in passing her conclusions.

This has led to a split verdict and the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court has now ordered Justice Karthikeyan to hear the case afresh and the decision that he will take is final.