Nalini Netto tenders apology

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, AUG. 29. The Secretary, Taxes, Ms. Nalini Netto, has tendered an unconditional apology for casting aspersions on the Judicial Commission in her writ filed before a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court.

The Bench while accepting the apology allowed her to withdraw her plea for quashing the Commission's order rejecting her prayer for holding an in-camera proceedings in the case relating to the alleged sexual harassment meted out to her by the former Transport Minister, Dr.A. Neelalohithadasan Nadar.

The Bench comprising the Chief Justice Mr.A.V. Savant and Mr.Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan posted the writ for August 31.

The Judges said that when the petition came up before them yesterday, the court found that certain averments in the writ were "not only unsustainable" but "prima facie wholly objectionable". The court then asked Ms Netto's counsel whether the petitioner wanted to persist with the averments.

While tendering apology for making the averments today, she said in an affidavit that she did not intended to bring disrespect to the High Court or its judges. She had always held the High Court and judge in high esteem.

Ms. Netto said she was giving up the prayer for quashing the order of the Commission rejecting her plea for holding the proceedings in-camera.

The petition sought quashing of the order appointing the Commission and a direction to the Additional DGP, Crime, to complete the investigation on her complaint in a time-bound manner.

She submitted that the Commission had been appointed to placate the political party to which Dr. Nadar belonged. It had also been pointed out that in fact, the appointment order had stipulated that inquiry should be completed within four months from February 28. Later, the Government had extended the term till December 28. The order extending the term was mala fide and amounted to abuse of power. The petitioner did not object to setting up a Commission as she thought that the Commission would consider sitting in the context of registering a criminal case.

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Section  : Southern States
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