NATARAJAN, J.

The Madras Bar Association represented by its Secretary, the Madras High Court Advocates Association represented by its Secretaries and the Tamil Nadu Judicial Officers Association represented by its General Secretary, seek intervention, by means of their respective applications mentioned above, in the proceedings in Contempt Application No. 24 of 1980 pending before this Bench. The prayer for intervention by the respective Associations, has been made in the following circumstances

Consequent upon the learned Advocate-General moving this Court for the respondents, viz., (1) R. M. Krishna Raju, c/o. The Editor, The Hindu, Madras, (2) G. K. Kasthuri, the Editor, The Hindu, Madras, and (3) S. Rangarajan, the Printer and Publisher of the Hindu, Madras, being punished for contempt of the High Court, under Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, a notice was issued to the respondents and they have entered appearance and filed their counter-affidavits. For the 1st respondent, as many as 272 Advocates have signed the Vakalat filed on his behalf. It has since transpired that the 1st respondent, R. M. Krishna Raju is a legal practitioner and a memb