Setu row: SC warns Tamil Nadu CM

SC threatens to issue arrest warrants against CM M Karunanidhi, Union Transport Minister T R Baalu and 4 others for failing to respond to a notice on Sethusamudram bandh row.

The Supreme Court on Monday threatened to issue arrest warrants against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Union Transport Minister T R Baalu and four others for failing to respond to a contempt notice on the Sethusamudram bandh row.

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A bench of Justice B N Aggrawal and G S Singhvi, however, granted four weeks time to Karunanidhi, Baalu, state Chief Secretary, DGP and two others to file their fresh replies to the show cause notice issued by it.

The bench took a serious view after noting that the Chief Minister and others failed to file their reply to the contempt notice issued by it in the first week of October last year.

The bench regretted that though the Tamil Nadu government has been seeking time and adjournments frequently for filing the response on a show cause notice, it pointed out that on March 31st this year the condemners sought four weeks time to file their replies but failed to do so.

AIADMK chief and Opposition leader J Jayalalithaa complained that response to the show cause notice on contempt was filed only on July 30th.

The apex court after fresh request from the Tamil Nadu counsel then granted four more weeks' time to file replies on the contempt notices.

The apex court, in October last year, had issued contempt notices to the Chief Minister and others for going ahead with the October 1 state-wide bandh on the Sethusamudram issue despite the bench restraining them.

At that time, the apex court had also threatened to recommend the President of India to dismiss the State government.