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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS RESERVED ON : 27.10.2026 DELIVERED ON : 30.10.2026 CORAM :

THE HONOURABLE MR. SUSHRUT ARVIND DHARMADHIKARI, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.ARUL MURUGAN W.P. No.30622 of 2026 CNR:{HCMA011621652026}

and W.M.P.Nos.33648, 33645 and 33646 of 2026 R.Karthikeyan S/o.K.P.Ratnasabapathy, 15, Police Commissioner Office Road, Egmore, Chennai-600 008.

Petitioner(s)

Vs

1. The Union of India Rep. by its Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi.

2.The State of Tamil Nadu Rep. by its Secretary, Home Department, Fort St. George, Chennai-600 009.

3.The Director General of Police No.601, Dr.Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore, Chennai-600 004.

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4.Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath (TNTJ)

Rep. by its President, R.Abdul Karim, No.30, Aranmanaikaaran Street, Mannady, Chennai-600 001.

5.Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), No.7, Vada Maraicoir Street (Vadamaraikair Street), Behind Harbour Telephone Exchange Office, Mannady, Chennai-600 001.

Respondent(s)

PRAYER : Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking issuance of a writ of mandamus directing respondents 1 to 3 to take effective preventive and penal measures against organised campaigns, public meeting, processions, demonstrations, speeches, social media publications or other activities scandalising, intimidating or undermining the authority of the judiciary or personally targeting any sitting Judge of this Hon’ble court or any Constitutional Court; to register appropriate criminal cases and conduct a fair and expeditious investigation into all cognizable offences disclosed in such incidents; to take appropriate action in accordance with law against respondents 4 and 5, their office bearers, members, affiliates and all other persons found responsible, directly or indirectly, for organising, instigating, participating in, financing or facilitating such unlawful activities, to frame appropriate guidelines governing the grant of permission for public meetings, processions and demonstrations relating to judicial proceedings or personally targeting Constitutional courts and sitting Judges.

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For Petitioner(s): Mr.Rajendran Raghavan For Respondent(s):Dr.G.Babu, CGSPC for R1 Mr.S.Ganesh Babu, Govt Advocate for R2 Mr.John Sathyan, State Public Prosecutor, asst by Mr.N.Palanivel, Govt Advocate (Crl Side)

for R3 ORDER THE CHIEF JUSTICE This public interest litigation raises a vital question about institutional balance. It requires us to decide where the right to voice public dissent ends, and where the duty to protect the independence of our courts begins.

2. The petitioner has approached this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India seeking issuance of a writ of mandamus to compel the State administration and law enforcement agencies to take preventive and punitive action against organized public campaigns that target sitting judges.

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3. The dispute traces back to a judgment delivered on

25.06.2026, by a Division Bench of this Court sitting at the Madurai Bench in W.P.(MD) No.7217 of 2022, whereby G.O.(Ms.) No.31, dated 09.03.2024, issued by the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department, was declared as unconstitutional and it was held that a person cannot claim backward class benefits purely by virtue of religious conversion, noting that such a practice is inconsistent with both constitutional principles and Islamic theology.

4. Following the aforesaid judicial declaration by the Madurai Bench, several organizations, including the fourth and fifth respondents, launched wide-ranging public protests across the State of Tamil Nadu. The petitioner asserts that these actions quickly moved past normal public criticism of a legal ruling. Instead, they turned into personalized, hostile and defamatory campaigns directed at one of the sitting members of the Division Bench.

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Posters were displayed, public rallies were organized and videos were distributed on s