Reputed for having instilled civic discipline in Chennai, Justice Darmar Murugesan took oath as chief justice of Delhi high court on Wednesday. What will interest Delhiites is Justice Murugesan’s track record in enforcing the law. During his stint as a judge in Madras high court, he cracked down on illegal street bike racing that plagued Chennai. He expressed repeated concern over bikers racing down the city’s street even during peak hours and had asked the police to curb the menace.
His role in putting an end to the notorious “bus day” celebrations by college students is widely acknowledged. Students made life in the city come to a halt by creating a ruckus in buses and obstructing traffic flow. The court had frowned upon authorities for allowing 150 students to board a bus meant for 60 passengers and permitting them to travel on rooftops/footboards of these vehicles in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Similarly, his intolerance for traffic violations resulted in the police booking more than two lakh cases against those who drove without helmets. With the Delhi government yet to implement key provisions of Motor Vehicles Act that makes helmets for women mandatory, it will be interesting to see how the court views this.
Justice Murugesan was soon introduced to various problems faced by Delhi as he dealt with several PILs, while sharing a division bench with Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw. On Wednesday, which is dedicated to hearing public interest cases, the new chief justice came to know the multiplicity of authorities that exists in Delhi and how it leads to mounting problems. PILs landed before him highlighting water woes in Dwarka, conditions of juveniles who languish in prisons, preservation of water bodies across the city and inadequate hostel facilities for Delhi University students.
Earlier in the day, the 62-year-old judge was administered oath of office by Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna at a function at Raj Niwas which was attended by chief minister Sheila Dikshit and other judges of the Delhi high court. Justice Murugesan, born on June 10, 1951, was appointed as a judge of the Madras high court on March 2, 2000, more than 24 years after he enrolled as a member of the Bar on August 27, 1975.
He was made a permanent judge of the Madras high court on June 13, 2001.
