Civil court orders fresh elections for Madras Reporters Guild (MRG); invalidates disputed polls

CHENNAI: In a significant order aimed at ensuring fairness in the functioning of journalists’ bodies, the I Assistant City Civil Court in Chennai set aside the recently held elections of the Madras Reporters Guild (MRG).

The court declared the process invalid and directed fresh polls under court supervision.The order was passed on a plea moved by A Wilson Asirvatham, a senior journalist who alleged that the Guild’s leadership manipulated the election process by issuing ante-dated and fabricated circulars that excluded hundreds of eligible reporters from membership.Civil Judge P Chandrasekar observed that the election results, declared while the case was pending, could not be binding on the proceedings.

The court cited the legal maxim “pendente lite nihil innovetur,” meaning nothing new should be introduced during litigation.

The court also held that the defendants (current office bearers) failed to follow the Guild’s by-laws, particularly the requirement of convening an extraordinary general body meeting before conducting elections.According to Wilson, 535 membership applications were submitted, of which 476 were valid, but these were deliberately ignored.

He alleged that the defendants’ actions amounted to a “sham election” that violated the Guild’s by-laws and principles of natural justice.Opposing the plea, the present office bearers of the Guild contended that the plaintiff was not a registered member and had no locus standi to challenge its internal affairs. They argued that elections were already completed on January 12, with all candidates elected unopposed, making the case infructuous.Declaring the election invalid, the court restrained the existing office bearers from managing the Guild’s affairs. The court appointed retired District Judge Mohan Raj as the Election Officer and Advocate D Abdul Subhan as Co-Election Officer to oversee the process of admitting new members, preparing a valid voters’ list, and conducting elections in compliance with the law.The court further ordered that the entire election process be videographed, with expenses borne by the Guild, and allowed the commissioners to seek police protection if necessary.