In a first, Madras high court hears case over Skype

The Madras high court has perhaps for the first time taken recourse to video chat site facility Skype to hear an urgent petition seeking protection for a marriage at a church in Ramanathapuram district and directed the police to provide security during the wedding on Sunday.

Justice S Vaidyanathan of Madurai Bench in Madurai heard the case through Skype on the suggestion of the administrative Judge of the high court bench, Justice V Ramasubramanian, as none of the judges were in station due to the week-long Diwali vacation and the petition for urgent hearing was filed at the last moment.

Justice Vaidyanathan heard the case from his residence in Chennai and directed the police to provide protection for the marriage ceremony. The judge also said that a procession would not be allowed outside the Adaikala Matha Church.

The case documents were scanned and mailed to the judge for his perusal before hearing the petitioner. The certified copy of the order directing police to give protection was mailed at 8 PM yesterday.

The petition was filed at the last minute due to "bungling" by local police, counsel for the petitioner, M Jesu, claimed.

Court officials said this was the first time in its history that the high court bench was using Skype for hearing a case and the idea came from the administrative judge.

The petitioner alleged that police had objected to the conduct of the marriage ceremony at Adaikalamatha church on the ground that he had already agreed to perform it in some other church.

There was some dispute between the petitioner and church authorities and the undertaking to perform the marriage in some other church had been obtained under coercion, it was alleged

The judge directed that the marriage should be allowed to be performed in the same church.